


Birthday Month Drabble Collection

by naarna



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Birthday Month Drabbles, Drabbles, Fluff, M/M, based on various prompts, mostly fluff at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:20:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24491926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naarna/pseuds/naarna
Summary: 1 Birthday, 15 prompts, 15 drabbles.Should be fun, right? ;-)
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Drunk You

**Author's Note:**

> Those are the Birthday Month Drabbles I wrote for Sheith, all originally posted on my tumblr account. :-D
> 
> The prompt is always posted in the chapter notes at the beginning of each drabble. They are mostly fluff, plus one is a little more explicit, it'll be mentioned accordingly in the notes. And lastly, I've only had Grammarly run over it, so any remaining SPaG mistakes are entirely mine... ;-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _I met you last night when you were drunkenly patting my dog in my backyard at 3am. When I asked you what the hell you were doing, you slurred something about dogs being great, only to throw up on my feet. 15 min later you were passed out on my couch, that's why you're here right now. Also what the fuck is your name and why were you patting a dog in a stranger's backyard in the middle of the night? A dog who has never let anyone pat them before?_

The sun was already high in the sky with the promise of another hot day outside when Keith strolled into the kitchen area in his house, eager to get the desperately needed coffee into his system just to wake up properly. 

Like every Saturday morning, he was paying for having a drink with the few people he called friends. His head was groggy, and thinking about breakfast made him gag a little. 

Kosmo whined as he came up to Keith, nudging him gently as a reminder that at least someone was hungry. He wagged his tail when Keith scratched his ear as a greeting.

The coffee brewing on the stove, slowly spreading its heavenly scent, Keith moved to find the food for his wolf. “Kosmo, no begging, you know that.  _ Sit _ .”

And as any good dog would, Kosmo followed the command, although his eyes never left the bowl on the counter, watching Keith’s every move filling it.

“Kosmo, stay.” After checking that his wolf did as told, Keith placed the bowl in its usual spot. Every time, he was a little surprised that the eager wolf followed his commands and stayed where he was, even though he continued to whine like a starving beggar.

Usually, Keith would do a few more commands before he’d let Kosmo have his meal, but today, he was glad to be able to stand upright without his head throbbing too much. “Good boy, Kosmo. Now, eat.”

While Kosmo devoured his breakfast, almost inhaling it as fast as he went about it, Keith finally had his first gulp of coffee, relishing how the beverage ran down his throat, almost instantly waking up his senses. 

Then Kosmo perked up, looking over to the sitting area with the old worn sofa from where the noise of someone moving came. 

“Relax, Kosmo.” Keith wasn’t sure if he only meant to calm his wolf, as his first impulse had been to reach for a knife and check the area for an intruder. The hand had already been on the longest knife in the block on the counter when his brain finally caught up and he remembered that he had an involuntary guest in his home.

One that had shown up at 3 AM, drunk as fuck, simply because he wanted to pet his wolf.

And he seemed to wake up.

All Keith knew is that Kosmo had never let anyone pet him before. Except for this guy.

More moving was heard from the sofa, followed by a pained groan and a low curse. 

Kosmo had by now finished his meal and was watching the sofa corner intently, curious but also ready to jump should Keith give him the command.

However, Keith instead reached for a second mug to fill it before pouring the rest of the coffee in his. He couldn’t help but smirk when he heard a second pained groan from the sofa, indicating that his guest was trying to sit up and failing. 

Carrying the mugs, he wandered over to the sofa, the soft tapping of Kosmo’s paws following. 

“Shit. Where am I?” the guest let out, rubbing his face just as Keith placed the mugs on the small table in front of the sofa.

“On my sofa,” Keith replied dryly and pulled the old armchair closer to have a seat and a closer look at his now sober guest. “You crashed there.”

“Wh-What?” His guest turned his head to look at him in shock, only to immediately wince at the too sudden move of his head. Not to mention the brightness of the room that made Keith’s head throb a little too. “Damn… I guess I was pretty drunk then?”

“Yup.” Sipping his second coffee, Keith studied his guest still sprawled out on his sofa, his eyes wandering over the bulky chest and strong arms by that simple white shirt down to those thick thighs that barely fit on the sofa. It was like having a walking wet dream on his sofa. 

A real one.

And that white floof he kept brushing out of his face was simply adorable. Keith wanted to run his fingers through it. 

Wait, was that a prosthetic? Keith recognised it was a pretty damn advanced one from Galra Tech, probably still a test model. So this guy, this Adonis sprawled on his sofa, had been one of the lucky few they had chosen to test the newest model. 

“The coffee for me?” the guest asked after having managed to prop himself up without groaning too much. “Thanks.”

Keith curled his legs up, just as he noticed that Kosmo was sitting next to him, his ears turned forwards but otherwise relaxed. He let his hand brush over the fur on the wolf’s head, repeatedly scratching him behind his ears. “Good boy.”

The guest seemed to need coffee as much as Keith in the morning, as fast as he gulped down the beverage, or at least half the mug before placing it back down on the small table. There was now a rather sheepish look on his face, and he rubbed his neck. “I hope I didn’t do anything stupid–”

“As in walk to a stranger’s porch and pet their dog at 3 AM?” Keith asked, amused at the blushing cheeks and the embarrassed grin of his guest. “Drunk as fuck?”

Kosmo whined as if he knew that they were sort of talking about him, and it immediately drew the guest’s attention who gasped rather loudly. 

“I-I just like dogs, okay?” the guest said after a moment, still rubbing his neck. “All I remember is that I was on my way home when I saw a gorgeous dog… I guess him… and drunk me knows no boundaries.”

“Just so you know, Kosmo has never let anyone pet him before.”

“Wow.” His guest lifted his mug for another gulp of coffee after that fact. “Gods, this is good stuff.”

Keith’s gaze lingered on the muscles of the flesh arm. They weren’t bulked up for show, they held a promise of great physical strength, just like the rest of his body. A shiver went through his body, and he had to take a deep breath not to let his mind drift into unsafe territory.

“Have you seen the rest of my clothes? I’m pretty sure I wore a buttoned shirt last night.”

“You did. I had to wash them.”

“Oh gods, don’t tell me I threw up on you…” The guest rubbed his face to cover his blushing cheeks. “I’m going to kill Matt for giving me vodka to drink.”

“I had to wash my shoes anyway.” Keith had to chuckle at the very apparent embarrassment of his guest. It was adorable. And honestly, he was more amused than angry about it all. “I mean, I barely managed to get the shirt off you to wash it before you crashed on the sofa and passed out. That’s why you’re here.”

“I’m so sorry,” his guest let out with another sheepish grin, and then Keith noticed his eyes moving as if he was studying him. And he seemed to like what he saw. “Sober me is much nicer, I promise.”

“Drunk you was adorable…”

“You think?”

Keith nodded, feeling his cheeks burn ever so slightly. “Although drunk you really don’t know any boundaries. Quite handsy even.”

“I…? Ugh.” The guest brushed his flesh hand over his head to his neck, and Keith thought he could see the blush spreading down to his collarbones. “Drunk me might have liked the dog owner too, I guess? I’m usually not like that, I promise. And I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. Not everyone likes being hit on by a gay man…”

A groan escaped Keith before he could stop himself, and for a second he just wanted to be swallowed by the ground for his reaction to this revelation.

His walking wet dream was gay! 

Gay.

It took Keith at least one deep breath, but more likely two, to recover. “I-I liked it. Really. I just haven’t been hit on in a while, and especially not by someone like you.”

That seemed to ease the conscience of his guest, and a few seconds later, he could basically watch him realise the full meaning as his mouth fell open and his eyes widened briefly. 

“And sober you is…”

“Yeah?” 

Fuck. Keith didn’t expect the teasing expression on his guest’s face, the embarrassment gone by now. Was he really flirting with him, despite probably having the biggest hangover known to mankind?

“Intriguing? Handsome? A fucking Adonis on my sofa?” Keith bit his lip after the last bit had slipped out against his will. Apparently, his filters weren’t yet fully working, or he would have stopped himself. Yet, the laugh from his guest in response to his words was a delightful sound, and it helped ease his nerves again.

“Thanks. I haven’t heard that in a while. Most people are a little scared off by the arm–”

“Galra Tech, right?”

“Yeah. But how did you know?” His guest perked up, and he absent-mindedly ran his flesh fingers over the metal of his prosthetic, a gesture that had Keith transfixed for a moment.

Keith caught himself with a cough, and he uncurled his legs. “One of my uncles works for them. And I’m pretty interested in their stuff… I know for a fact that they are very picky about who gets to test their prosthetics.”

“Yeah, I guess.” The guest smiled, and it was a surprisingly soft, relieved expression. Although there was also a hint of sadness underneath it if Keith was right. “I-I’d like to repay you for having to put up with drunk me last night. And for calling me, and I quote, ‘a fucking Adonis’. That made my day…”

Keith groaned again, but then saw the grin on his guest’s face, utterly endearing. Damn, he was so gone!

“There’s a nice diner down the street that serves a decent breakfast,” Keith offered after a moment, stretching his legs.

“My treat, of course.” His guest rose to his feet, which turned into a string of winces and groans. “You don’t have aspirin or something? My head is killing me.”

“Sure.” Keith’s head throbbed a little as well when he got on his feet, just from the change of position. He picked up the empty coffee mugs to bring them over to the kitchen area before searching for some aspirins in his bathroom. “By the way, I never got your name. Drunk you was too occupied with petting Kosmo…”

“Takashi,” his guest said with a smile. “But everyone calls me Shiro.”

“Ah, the floof, right?” Keith chuckled, even more so when he saw Shiro brush that adorable floof out of his face. “I’m Keith. And I’m glad to meet sober you. I like him.”

“I like sober you too.”

With a big smile, Keith turned around towards the bathroom. Right now, he felt rather lucky, thanking the skies for having this utter dream of a man walk up to his porch late at night. 

It turned out to be the best Saturday in a long time.


	2. Did I Wake You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Prompt:** _Character A tries to make breakfast in Character B's kitchen, but they are unable to find anything._

Shiro was woken by the sunlight peeking through the blinds and noise of someone rummaging outside his bedroom. His eyes still closed, he searched the spot next to him with his flesh hand, only to find it empty. 

Keith was already up. Might have been for hours, since he always struggled to fall asleep again after a nightmare. And Keith probably didn’t want to wake him. Sleep was precious these days, between their workload, assignments, and the nightmares haunting them of the things they had been through.

Even years later.

Shiro could smell coffee, the scent slowly wafting through his apartment until it reached him. It was a promise of breakfast nudging him to leave the warmth and comfort of his bed and join Keith in the kitchen.

Shiro smiled at the image of Keith cooking for him. It felt nice to have someone take care of him for once, fussing about him in a gentle, almost nurturing way. And Keith was definitely the better cook between them both, while he managed to burn things regularly.

“Kosmo, no begging,” Keith exclaimed in the kitchen with a hint of exasperation, because that wolf was ever the starving beggar. “You already had your breakfast.”

His smile widening, Shiro turned on his back, stretching his legs to get his circulation going. When he stretched the muscles in his upper body, he noticed how sore his right shoulder was, close to where the flesh of his shoulder met his prosthetic. 

It was nothing to worry too much about, as the prosthetic did put quite a strain on his muscles there. And maybe Keith was indulgent enough to work his magic in a massage later. 

From the kitchen, he heard Keith mutter something, although he couldn’t make out the words. They were loaded with frustration, just as the cupboards were closed with a little more force than necessary, making them louder than usual.

Eager now to know what has Keith all riled up like this, Shiro climbed out of his bed and grabbed the sweatpants that were hanging over the chair in the corner to put them on before leaving the room. Still with sleep in the corner of his eyes, Shiro stumbled down the corridor to the living room with its open kitchen area.

The scent of coffee lingering in the air was heavenly, and it helped wake up his senses a little more. 

When Shiro made it to the kitchen area, he found Keith rummaging through the drawers and cupboards, desperately trying to find something. All he could see was a couple of bowls on the counter, and a pan ready to be used on the stove. 

But what made him smile was seeing Keith wearing one of his old shirts, the colours washed out and faded, and hanging entirely too big on Keith’s lean frame.

Keith stopped in his tracks when he heard the sound of a stool being moved that was usually stowed on the side of the kitchen island. The startled look disappeared within a heartbeat, replaced by a warm smile. “Did I wake you?”

Shiro shook his head and leaned against the island. “When did you get up?”

“A while ago,” Keith replied evasively. He fished for the hairband on the counter and pulled his hair back. It had grown long enough now that he could braid it, but today, it was only a simple ponytail to keep the hair out of his face. “I thought I’d finish before you wake up.”

Shiro noticed Keith tense up a little. For others, it might not have been visible, but Shiro was by now attuned to the small changes and nervous habits. So, he reached for one of Keith’s hands, wrapping the fingers of his flesh hand around Keith’s wrist who didn’t protest when he pulled him closer.

“I had a stupid dream,” Keith let out moments later, leaning into Shiro’s embrace. “‘T was really stupid.”

“Define ‘stupid’.” Shiro drew soothing circles on Keith’s back, knowing that the soft touch always helped him feel grounded again. “Stupid like me dreaming about being chased by a spaghetti monster?”

That made Keith chuckle. “That really was stupid... No, not that stupid. I-I dreamed about being in one of those game shows with a really weird and annoying host. The others were in it as well. It just creeped me out.”

“You know you can wake me up, right?”

Keith sighed and looked up, a small smile softening his face, although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You barely had any sleep all week, and it wasn’t a nightmare per se… I just went on a walk with Kosmo.”

The wolf whined when he recognised his name and nudged Keith’s leg whose smile widened before he reached down to pet him.

“You were making breakfast, hm? Smells good…” Shiro rubbed over Keith’s back and took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the heavenly smell of coffee. 

“I was trying to, but I can’t find half the things I need!” Keith tried to give Shiro a stern, chastising look but failed to keep it up when a laugh escaped. “Honestly, I helped you move into this place! Where’s your kitchen stuff?”

Shiro groaned, and he felt his cheeks blush. “I never unpacked the boxes–”

“Shiro!” Keith mocked a disappointed huff and added a nudge in his back. 

“To my defence, I really can’t cook anything except ramen… All I need is a proper coffee pot and a mug.”

“Idiot,” Keith whispered before pressing a soft kiss on Shiro’s lips. “But yeah, you’re really a disaster in the kitchen. I’ll see what I can rescue–”

“Move in with me.” Shiro claimed Keith’s lips in another soft kiss, partly because he had missed their feel, but mostly to add to his words. 

“Wait, what?” Keith pulled away but remained close enough for their noses to touch. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Shiro pecked Keith’s lips again, amused a little about the shock on Keith’s face that was changing into something else—something like happiness? 

“I know you value your independence,” Shiro then started, moving his hands up to Keith’s shoulders. “But at least half of your stuff is here already, and you’re here most of the time anyway. It feels like it’s our place already.”

“It does, yeah.” Keith nodded; his eyes were shimmering with happy ears. “How come we never thought of this before?”

“As busy we usually are?” Shiro replied with a chuckle before he leaned in for another kiss, deeper and more ardent this time. But Keith was right, they had been together for what now feels like half an eternity, yet they never moved in together. 

It was time to change that. 

“First thing we move is my kitchen stuff,” Keith said between excited pants when he broke off, peppering Shiro’s lips with pecks. “Seriously.”

“Anything. But please, let me have a coffee now.”

“I love you, babe.” After one last peck on Shiro’s lips, Keith let go of him to turn to the stove where the pot with the still-hot coffee was placed.

“Love you too, Keith.”


	3. Please Don't Laugh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _This is totally awkward, considering that, before this, the only interactions we've ever had have been casual nods to each other in the hallway, but there's a huge fucking spider in my bathtub. And you seem like the friendly neighbour type, so please help me. (Bonus if towel is all the scared character wears)_

It was late evening and Keith was trying to focus on the text in front of him, close to giving up because he was about to read the same paragraph for the fifth or sixth time and it still didn’t want to make sense in his head. 

So much for leaving it up until the night before class to read the text and do the accompanying questions! Gods, his brain felt like it had been fried with too much input today already.

And all just because he wanted to become a space engineer! 

This was one of those short-lived moments when he reconsidered his choices and dreams in life, because he always went full in. Thankfully, his grades so far reflected his efforts, and Iverson had dropped a hint that he might just be on the shortlist for a very prestigious internship. 

But right now, all Keith needed was a break and more caffeine. 

That was when he heard an unusual high-pitched scream from through his open window as if one of his neighbours had been jump-scared by something. And given he also heard an echo of it through his walls, it most likely was his direct neighbour.

He could hear some curses following the high-pitched scream, and it made him chuckle. He barely ever got jump-scared anymore these days, but when he did, he would curse loudly enough to make other people’s ears go red.

His direct neighbour had moved in only a few weeks ago, so he had only seen him a couple of times in the hallway, sharing nods in greeting and maybe a smile. But damn, his direct neighbour was built like a dream! Muscled, but not for show, no, they were built for strength, and Keith would be damned if he hadn’t fantasised about them regularly...

And that guy had just let out the most high-pitched scream he ever heard from someone. 

He was about to put the filter machine on when he heard a knock on his door, curiously enough sounding frantic and shy at the same time.

It took him a second knock to finally move to the door and answer it, only to gasp in surprise when he saw his direct neighbour stand there with an embarrassed grin and only a towel around his waist. Presented with this view, Keith needed several seconds to catch himself and put on a smile in the hope to hide his own blushing cheeks. 

“Hi,” the neighbour said, now rubbing his neck, and only now did Keith realise that it was one of the most advanced prosthetics he’d ever seen. It had to be a Galra Tech model! “This sounds stupid, but I might need your help…”

“Help?” Keith piped, cursing himself internally for being such an obvious disaster in front of this guy.

The guy chuckled, his cheeks turning a hint redder. “I don’t really know anyone else in this building, and… and you looked like a nice guy. And please don’t laugh, okay?”

Biting his lip, Keith shook his head in a promise to the guy’s relief.

“I’m scared of spiders. And there’s a HUGE one in my shower.” The guy mostly mumbled those words in sheer embarrassment.

“Oh,” Keith let out but managed to keep a straight face. “That explains the scream–”

“Oh damn!” After a few more seconds, it was the guy who started laughing. “Yeah, that wasn’t the most graceful sound.”

“But I can certainly help you with the spider,” Keith replied with an earnest expression and nodded towards the guy’s neighbouring apartment. “I need a break from studying anyway.”

“Thanks, man!” The guy let out a sigh in relief and stepped to the side to let Keith pass. “I’m Shiro, by the way.”

“Keith.”

“ _ Keith _ ,” Shiro repeated with a warm smile, and damn it did things to Keith’s abdomen, fluttery things that made him grin like an idiot.

So, Keith followed Shiro into his apartment, trying not to stare too much, especially not at Shiro as he walked down the short corridor between the living room area with its open kitchen and the bathroom. Keith tried to remember that he was here because Shiro had a spider in his shower, but he failed majestically, as he honestly couldn’t move his gaze away from Shiro’s back. Heavens, he was glued to the muscles moving under the skin and the perfect curve of the small of his back. 

By now, he had completely forgotten about his text and the questions he was supposed to work on.

Once they reached the bathroom, Shiro turned around, yet hesitating to open the door. “Please ignore the mess on the floor, I just tried to get out as fast as possible…”

Keith nodded with a reassuring smile and then moved to open the door. He was sure that Shiro was exaggerating, given how neat and clean the rest of the apartment looked. And the spider probably wasn’t that big either. “Want it dead or just removed?”

Shiro’s eyes widened for a second, then he caught up with Keith’s words. “Gimme a sec!”

Keith saw him run back to the living room area, with the towel sliding dangerously low, and then returned his focus to the bathroom. Just as Shiro had said, the spider sat in the shower, like a black blob against the white and blue of the tiles. He understood why Shiro let out the high-pitched scream earlier, because yeah, the spider wasn’t exactly small. But by far also not the biggest he had ever seen either. 

Then, Shiro returned with a bowl and what looked like an empty file folder, holding both items up with slightly shaking hands. He wanted it removed, not dead.

It was sort of cute to see a guy as built as his neighbour being scared of a harmless spider. But then, he’d better never tell him that he was scared of frogs since childhood. “Won’t take long…”

Shiro remained at the door, holding his towel with his flesh hand as he watched Keith carefully pinning down the spider with the bowl and then move the file folder underneath to trap it. For someone being scared of the creatures, he was also strangely curious about it. 

“Now, big strong man, you can take your shower,” Keith said with a teasing wink as he carried the spider out of the bathroom. “I’ll set her free outside.”

“I owe you one,” Shiro replied with visible relief. “Like if you ever need to have someone scared away from your door. I can look pretty badass.”

The groan escaping Keith was garbled as he tried to swallow it. And it didn’t exactly help when he saw Shiro smirk in response. His brain felt fried again, but in a completely different way than before. 

In a good way, this time.

His brain felt fried again, but in a completely different way than before. 

“I could use some help with my text on theories about different realities,” Keith eventually let out, remembering with a painful twist in his gut what he was actually supposed to do. “It’s killing me.”

“I remember Slav’s texts. They ARE horrible to read,” Shiro replied with another smirk. “Let me have my shower and then we go through it together. I might still have my notes somewhere–”

“YOU TOOK SLAV’S CLASS?” Keith almost let the bowl with the spider fall from his hands. 

“Yup. Had to for my degree in astrophysics.” Shiro fled into the bathroom, his eyes fixed on the spider in Keith’s hand as if he was afraid he’d set it free. “Take that thing outside and I’ll help you.”

“Oh!” With cheeks blushing, Keith held on tighter to the bowl with the spider and made a step towards the apartment door. “Just knock when you’re done.”

“Yeah!” Shiro replied from behind the now-closed door, and Keith needed all his mental strength not to picture him without the towel.

It was either going to be an excruciatingly awkward night trying to go through the text while he crushed on Shiro, or the best night doing it. 

It turned out to be the latter


	4. Best Distraction Ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _You're my roommate who's super cute and it's the middle of the night and you're cramming for your exams in your flannel pyjamas and dishevelled hair and it's becoming increasingly hard for me not to kiss you_
> 
> PS: That's the longest Birthday Month Drabble I wrote last month, clocking in at around 2.8k. ;-)

Shiro came back from his evening run, sweat pooling everywhere, leaving his shirt basically soaked and thus clinging to his body. Despite feeling sticky now, he liked to run at that time of the day, just after the sun had gone down, and the air was filled with the remaining heat of the day, slowly cooling into the night.

Running after a long day of sitting in lectures, or cramming his head in the library, felt liberating and he was able to empty his head. Instead, he could just focus on moving his body, on how hard his heart was beating against his chest, the sweat running down his back. 

So, still panting, Shiro entered the small apartment on the campus of the prestigious Garrison University that he had managed to get a hold on, as sought after they were. During his first year at university, he had lived in the dorms, sharing a room with another guy taking astronomy classes. 

But once he had heard that Keith had been accepted in the same university, even following him into astronomy, he had applied for a student apartment for them to share. And maybe his reputation as a favourite amongst most of his profs for his grades did help a little. 

Just maybe.

He didn’t care. Sharing an apartment with Keith was miles better than staying at the dorm with a guy who always tensed up around him. No, with Keith, it felt comfortable, easy.

A little bit like home.

And right now, Keith had sprawled his books all over their table in the living room area with its open kitchen. He was wearing one of Shiro’s old, faded shirts, and there was an air of panic around him, as he skipped through the pages of the book in front of him, trying to find something. 

Shiro closed the door behind him and came over to the table, leaning over Keith from behind to see what he was working on. “Everything okay?”

Keith startled, but he broke out in a warm smile when he saw Shiro. He let go of the book in front of him and ran fingers through his thick hair to push it out of his face as he sighed. “Just feeling like I’m going to totally flunk this exam…”

“Oh, Slav’s lecture. Yeah… He sort of makes everyone panic.” Shiro leaned down further so that his head was right next to Keith’s to have a look at the notes that Keith had scribbled down in his hurried handwriting. 

“Shiro…?"

The way Keith had said his name, with a surprisingly shy and insecure tone, pulled Shiro from his thoughts and made him look at Keith. Noticed how Keith bit his lip, looking at him with those deep, purple eyes. 

However, Shiro startled when he felt fingers brush over his cheek, and he realised how close he had leaned in. Too close for what feels appropriate for friends. Even best friends who didn’t mind hugs. 

Just, he felt drawn to Keith, always gravitated towards him, always sought him out. 

With the pang of shame in his chest for overstepping a boundary, Shiro took a step back until his back hit the kitchen counter. “I-I probably should go shower anyway.”

“R-Right…”

Shiro didn’t hear the small, disappointed sigh when he hurried down the short corridor to their bathroom, his mind racing with thoughts that were entirely too inappropriate, stuck on the feel of Keith’s fingers on his cheek, as well as the image of Keith biting his lips. For the longest of moments, he wondered what they would feel like in a kiss. Soft? Demanding? 

Maybe a shower could help to cool off a bit and sort his thoughts.

The shower did help him feel cleaner, but not necessarily with his thoughts. It was just one of those many moments he’d have to push back for the sake of their friendship. He wasn’t sure it was worth the risk of losing their friendship over a crush.

After all, what if Keith didn’t feel the same?

No, he just had to deal with this stupid crush or infatuation with his flatmate.

Well, okay with his best friend-turned-flatmate who made him feel like home.

Still, it was stupid.

Wearing a pair of comfy sweatpants and a tank top, Shiro returned to the kitchen, where Keith was still hunching over his notes and books, letting out another groan in despair and growing panic. 

It was almost adorable, and Shiro felt his heart make a jump before he managed to gather himself. To keep himself from staring too much at Keith, he opened the fridge to have a look at what was inside. To his dismay, it seemed that they needed to do another trip to the grocery store, as the fridge looked regretfully empty except for his indulgence of protein shakes, a couple of eggs, and some potatoes that looked rather wrinkly. 

At least, in the freezer compartment, there was a last portioned bag of whatever his mother had brought last time she had been here. It looked like it would be enough for both of them, so he took it out. Moments later, he had put in the pan and turned the stove on. Heating things up was easy enough.

“You should take a break,” Shiro said a few moments later, after Keith let out another panicked groan, looking as if he was about to put his head on the table in defeat.

“Can’t.” Absent-mindedly, Keith started gnawing on the pencil in his hand, his gaze fixed on the text in front of him. 

Shiro quickly checked the pan, and then sat down next to Keith, with an eye on the stove. Seeing the pencil between Keith’s lips didn’t exactly help his focus, as his thoughts immediately got stuck on it, imagining Keith sucking–NO! He wasn’t going there. 

For Heaven’s sake, he was hopeless...

Keith turned his head when the chair scraped over the floor, leaning his chin on his hand and looking utterly exhausted but unwilling to give in to it. 

With what he hoped was a warm, supportive smile, Shiro leaned forward. “You aced all the other exams this year, even beat my score in Physics 101–”

“That was easy,” Keith replied with a teasing smirk, fiddling with the pencil in his fingers. 

“Nuh-uh. I had the highest score…” Shiro again checked the pan and got up to stir the contents. “You know your stuff, really know it. So… Why the panic now?”

Keith didn’t answer, only watched him continue to stir the content of the pan. He licked over his lips and closed his eyes briefly as he inhaled a first waft of the smell, and damn Shiro just had to look over at exactly that moment!

Shiro blushed when he realised that he had been transfixed by the tongue moving across the lip; he even felt his ears burn as he returned his attention to the pan and its contents. He really needed to figure out a way how to deal with this stupid crush before it could get worse. 

After another deep breath to calm himself, Shiro pulled two bowls from the cupboard and divided the contents equally between them. After fishing the last two clean forks from the cutlery drawer, he returned to the table, a bowl in each hand. “Courtesy of my mum.”

“Thanks.” Keith eagerly dived into the meal, devouring it like a starving wolf. “Ugh. I love her. Honestly.”

That made Shiro laugh, and he barely managed to avoid choking on the bite in his mouth. And the smirk on Keith’s face was endearing, too; Shiro was glad he could distract him a bit. It just made him ache a little more to just kiss Keith and make him forget his panic. Instead, he sighed and looked down to his bowl to load another bite on his fork.

“So, want to tell me now why you’re panicking?” Shiro asked when Keith pushed his empty bowl away on the table, leaning back. 

“I…” Keith looked away, crossing his arms and once more biting his lip. “Remember how I freaked out in high school?”

“And you still made it to the top three of your year,” Shiro replied with a soft smile.

“Yeah, because you helped me study.” Keith’s voice was quiet now, but at least he turned his again to face Shiro, even though he didn’t look him in the face. “I felt like the biggest impostor. Honestly… Maybe it’s just one of those evenings… My brain is… is… you know… Ugh.”

Keith looked tired, no longer hiding the heap of insecurity bubbling inside him, the fear of failure getting the better of him for a moment. 

Shiro had to swallow hard because it was always hard to see Keith resigned like that. He piled his empty bowl onto Keith, with slow moves because he felt like he needed to gain a few seconds and to give Keith a moment to breathe. 

“You know, I actually had to take that exam twice,” Shiro then admitted. His cheeks blushed when he saw Keith’s eyes widen before his lips curled into a disbelieving smirk. “But shh… no one really knows that. It’s a long story–”

“Twice?” 

Shiro nodded with a grin that he simply couldn’t contain. “I think you’re going to do better than me in this. You know that stuff–”

“I’m not so sure about it–”

“You just need to believe in yourself.” Shiro shook his head when Keith tried to argue this, adding a stern look to stop him. Without thinking twice, he placed his much bigger hand on Keith’s that was now on the table. It was meant as a comforting move, but then Keith twined their fingers and sighed. Shiro briefly stiffened at the unexpected hold on his hand, but then he melted into it, even squeezing it gently. 

Keith needed some reassurance, and Shiro would always do anything to give it. That was when his gaze fell on the blanket loosely hanging over the couch behind Keith. It gave him an idea. 

“Let’s go outside, come.” Without letting go of Keith’s hand, Shiro got up. “It’s a good night to see the stars.”

Keith’s face lit up at that, although seconds later, he frowned and looked over the books and notes still sprawled out over the table. “What–?”

“Nuh-uh! You know what you need to know, my dear.” Shiro’s face lit into a big smile when Keith nodded. “What you need is a distraction, and I’m going to take care of that.”

During the drive up the hill to their favourite gazing spot, Shiro relished in the feel of Keith pressed against his back, his arms tightly wrapped around Shiro’s waist as they rode the bike. The further away they got from the city, the more Shiro felt Keith relax against his frame, and it helped ease his nerves that he was actually doing the right thing. 

Once they arrived, it almost seemed as if Keith didn’t want to let go so that they could climb off the bike. In fact, he was snuggling against Shiro, and he let out a small sigh when Shiro started to open his hands. 

“Keith…” Shiro took off his helmet, immediately running his fingers through his short-cut hair and then righting the floof.

After another second, Keith moved his arms with a grumble and leaned back for Shiro to climb off. However, a small smile betrayed his previous response as he took off his helmet, fingers immediately brushing through his tousled hair to bring some sort of order into it. 

Shiro didn’t fuss long with the helmets, and moments later, the blanket and the couple of beers they had brought along were on the ground, the stars above them sparkling brightly in all their beauty.

Lying down, Keith shifted into a position that let him place his head on Shiro’s shoulder, as they observed the stunning night sky. “Sometimes, I forget that it’s all about this. That I wanted to know everything about space, and maybe one day go there…”

“Yeah,” Shiro replied with the same soft whisper. “I remember how you always sneaked out to watch the meteorites. Your dad–”

“He was angry, the first time at least.” Keith chuckled at the memory and inched a little closer. “But he never said that it was stupid. I mean, he bought me books about stars, remember?”

“He did, yeah.” Shiro felt a shiver run through his body when he noticed Keith getting closer, and right now, he liked every piece of it. “And he’s going to be so proud of you.”

“You think?” Keith turned his head to look at him, his eyes wide and filled with so much emotion, it almost blew Shiro away.

“Yeah, definitely,” Shiro replied, unable to look away, mesmerised by Keith’s eyes, as if the stars were reflected in them. There was nothing more beautiful. And he wished, deep in his treacherous little heart, that Keith would always look at him like this, as if he meant the world to him.

Keith lifted his hand to Shiro’s face to run his thumb across the cheek, then the chin, and at last the lower lip. It was the softest of touches, almost shy as if testing the water. “Thanks for being here…”

Shiro pulled Keith closer, with his heart racing in his chest because damn this was now beyond any level of friendship, and he no longer cared. Not when Keith looked at him like this. Yet, he let him control the moment, as fragile as it was.

“Sometimes I think you’re the only one who knows me. And the only one who really cares about me without any judgment.” Keith’s words were a barely audible whisper, but they hit Shiro right in his heart. “And you always know how to calm me down…”

Shiro held his breath when Keith started moving, shifting until he was face to face with him and a hand placed on his cheek. The touch was heavenly, and his skin prickled in anticipation, not daring to move at all, lest he destroyed the mood. 

Keith wanted to say something else, but his voice gave out, so he just smiled and leaned his forehead against Shiro’s. 

That was when Shiro found the courage to do what he had wanted to do all evening. That was when Shiro decided to take the risk and act on his feelings.

Fuck, his heart was about to race its way through his chest when Shiro planted his lips on Keiths like a gentle invitation. It was exhilarating, and he felt somewhere between giddy and absolutely utterly scared. 

He was kissing Keith. 

His best friend-turned-flatmate-turned-ultimate crush.

Keith looked at Shiro with those wide purple eyes, searching him for answers before he broke out in a smile and pulled him back with a sudden urgent need, claiming Shiro’s lips in an ardent kiss, not holding back.

He didn’t even protest when Shiro pulled him on top for better access, simply straddling him and making Shiro moan into the kiss at the contact and the goddamn perfect fit.

“Best distraction ever,” Keith whispered when they eventually did break off, panting heavily from the excitement, lips puffed and red. “I never thought you’d kiss me first, but I’m glad you did.”

Shiro reached for Keith’s hand and placed it on his chest to feel the heart racing. Right now, his mind was too overwhelmed to form words, but Keith’s smile showed him that he understood the message.

“Yeah, mine beat as fast when… when you didn’t pull your hand away earlier. You know, when I laced our fingers.”

“That’s… That’s when you…?”

Keith nodded, and his cheeks blushed, although Shiro was focused on that adorable smile blooming on Keith’s face. “More like a ‘maybe’...”

Shiro pulled him back up for another kiss, gentle this time and full of overflowing emotion now that the damn had been lifted. 

“You know that I’m now going to want this every day, right? Because, damn, you have no idea how long I’ve had a crush on you–”

“Happy to oblige,” Shiro replied breathlessly, grinning broadly into the continued kisses, relishing as Keith started to roam his mouth and grow more demanding. “And I thought I was the only one with a stupid crush–” 

“Idiot,” Keith huffed against Shiro’s lips, only to chuckle at Shiro’s weak protest. “Now, keep kissing me… God knows I’ve waited long enough!”

_ And after a good morning kiss that almost made him late, Keith more than aced the exam. _


	5. Hard Kicks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _“I’m bleeding…?!”_

Keith’s ears thrummed with the noise of the spectators in the training room and his own blood, flushed with adrenaline. His eyes were fixed on Shiro as they were circling each other, trying to find an opening.

It was just a sparring fight, indulging the cadets with a show and demonstrating the skills that had kept both of them alive—literally. And to the delight of the cadets, they always went all in, competitive enough to do and use everything to bring the other to the ground and have them give up.

Today they fought with double sticks, Keith’s favourites as they played into his style of fighting. The only rule they had was ‘no sticks to the head’. Both their high-ranking positions came with diplomatic meetings, and they had to look representable. Anything that could be hidden under the uniform was fair game though.

Keith knew he was going to sport a few bruises tomorrow because Shiro’s size always belied his agility and speed, and he had caught Keith several times with a strong punch. Shiro would have his own collection of bruises; that Keith knew because he had used the few openings in Shiro’s defenses so far.

But what mostly evened them out was that after the war against the Galra empire had been won, Shiro had decided to change to a better fitting prosthetic. The hovering arm kept reminding him of similarities with Sendak and their last fight. But above all, it had just been so damn prominent and a slight pain in the ass to maintain. 

So the Alteans had provided him with a more traditionally arm-like looking model, giving Shiro finally the chance to feel somewhat normal in his body. However, Keith still had to keep an eye on the prosthetic whenever they sparred, it was still an asset in any fight.

“Paladin!”

“Captain!”

“Paladin!”

“Captain!”

The cadets around them egged them on, and Keith was riding on the adrenaline and the excitement. He felt alive with it. He was at the center of it all, and it made him feel confident. 

“Getting cocky, Paladin?” Shiro asked with a smirk.

“Captain, I  _ know _ you like me being cocky when we’re alone,” Keith replied with a tilt of his head and a raised eyebrow to mock him “Especially when it’s my mouth around your  _ cock _ .” 

Keith thought he could see desire flash in Shiro’s eyes, and it was hot. And it was enough to distract Shiro into lowering his guard, even if just for a split second. It was more than enough for Keith, so he launched an attack on his sparring partner. A series of quick blows with his sticks, each blocked by Shiro who immediately pushed back.

And Shiro hit with full force, aiming at Keith’s sides, who parried them with a slight struggle as strength was one of Shiro’s advantages in a fight. 

“Fuck!” Keith let out when Shiro managed to strike a blow in a left-handed move he hadn’t seen coming. The sudden pain drew the breath out of him, but he used the opening in Shiro’s defenses to land a strike himself, pushing him back into the center of the matted area. 

Sweat was by now sticking to both their skin, and sweaty Shiro was one of Keith’s favourite views, regardless whether they were sparring or rolling around in bed.

With his next attack, Keith decided to change his strategy. He still opened with a series of blows but this time, he added kicks to Shiro’s legs in order to topple him.

Shiro adapted fast enough as he bowed to avoid the kick and used his sticks to knock Keith off his other foot, much to the delight of the cadets.

Keith rolled over the mat, just in time to avoid being pinned down and straddled by Shiro, as much as he liked it otherwise in the privacy of their quarters. Back on his feet, he wiped the sweat off his forehead, moving the sticky hair out of his view. 

“Let’s up the game,” Shiro said, swirling the stick in his flesh hand. He was panting heavily as he eyed Keith. The smirk on his face gave a pretty good idea what kind of game he would like to play right now. “Hand on hand. No hits to the groin or I’ll make you pay later.”

Keith chuckled. Oh, Shiro knew that this kind of fights always riled him up in a good way—this was basically foreplay in some way. And they both loved it. “No hits to the groin. And no pinching of my ass.”

Shiro mocked a huff, but Keith could see the devious spark in his eyes. This was going to be fun! 

They both handed their sticks to Griffin who was standing right at the front. 

And without the double sticks, the fight became dirtier—a mix of kicks, blows, and holds that were each cheered on by the cadets.

For Keith, it was a high by now. And based on what he saw, it was similar for Shiro who was again goading him into an attack. 

But instead of waiting for Keith, Shiro started his own attack of blows and kicks that Keith parried. 

Using the momentum, Keith brought Shiro into a position where he could land a kick to his head. Only, then Keith used more force than intended and thus sent Shiro flying across the mats. Keith expected Shiro to roll it off but then noticed how Shiro instead remained on the mat and shook his head.

Ignoring the cheers of the cadets, Keith went over. The high of the fight was immediately forgotten, he was simply concerned for Shiro now. “You okay?”

Shiro nodded. “I just forgot how hard your kicks can be… I yield.”

With a grin, Keith now turned his attention to the cadets who had broken out in cheers and his win. He let them celebrate for a few seconds before he demanded their attention. It only took him a few stern looks and the room quieted down. “Okay, everyone! Back to your posts. The lesson for today: Don’t ever make the mistake to underestimate your opponent. One kick can be enough to knock out the strongest of us, as we just proved.”

“Yes,” Shiro affirmed from his spot on the mat. “Strength isn’t everything.”

There were quite a few disgruntled faces amongst the cadets who had lost a bet on who would win the pretty evenly matched fight. And others who would high-five each other for guessing correctly, amongst them Griffin who then proceeded to bring the double sticks back to where they belong.

With the cadets dispersing, Keith returned to Shiro who had by now returned to his feet. “You okay? I didn’t actually mean to kick  _ that _ hard…”

“I’m fine. Just the head buzzing a bit.” Shiro wiped the sweat off his brows and winced at the touch.

“Let me see.” Keith reached for the flesh hand Shiro had just used, and he sighed when he saw the blood on them. A closer look at the eyebrow revealed that, yes, he had kicked Shiro pretty hard. 

Hard enough to crack his brow.

“You’re bleeding.”

“I’m bleeding…?” Shiro checked his hand, only to then search for the bleeding spot on his brow. The whole area was already starting to bloom in bruised colouring. “You really didn’t hold back, did you?”

“Never.” Keith grinned and then pointed towards the exit. “Let’s get you stitched up, Captain.”

“I just need a shower and your hands–”

“Nope.  _ That _ needs stitching.”

Out in the corridors, they both groaned with each step, now that the adrenaline wore off. Keith now felt the aftermath of Shiro’s kick against his hip; the sharp pain spread down his thigh each time he put his weight on it.

Probably was just a deep bruise, Keith definitely had worse injuries than that. 

“Great fight,” Shiro said, wiping his eyebrows with the towel he had brought along as the blood from his crack kept dropping into his eyes. “I missed it, honestly.”

“Same,” Keith replied with a nod, wincing at his hip bruise. “It’s not that much fun with the cadets. You really make me improvise to get a blow in.”

Just as they were about to turn around the corner towards the medical bay, they passed a small group of cadets still excitedly chatting about the fight, discussing the various blows and kicks and how they wanted to be able to do that too.

“But have you heard them tease each other?” the blond cadet said with a grin and a raised eyebrow, totally oblivious that they were right behind him, hearing every word. “You can’t tell me the Captain and the Paladin don’t fuck each other…”

“Petersson! That’s just stupid,” his colleague rebuffed, only to widen his eyes when he saw Keith and Shiro stand behind them. “T-Totally stupid and… and...and entirely inappropriate!”

“No, no! Listen, Kim, the Paladin said how much the Captain liked his mouth around his–”

Keith let out a laugh, joined by Shiro, and it was so worth the red faces of the cadets who tried to stammer out an apology, with added pleas not to make them scrub the Atlas or other punishments.

“Just go back to your posts,” Shiro eventually said, still chuckling and pressing the towel against his eyebrow. “And remember that discussing the private lives of your superiors is off-limits…”

“Yes, sir,” all three cadets yelped, still wide-eyed and red-faced, and then ran off as soon as Shiro gave them leave. 

It made them laugh for days, especially every time they saw the cadets duck under their gazes in the mess hall or at their posts.

But they never made the cadets scrub the Atlas


	6. Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _"How does your cat keep finding me? It's such a huge town."_

Keith just arrived home after a long day at work, dealing with ignorant superiors who didn't understand the technical details of his designs for their newest line of spacecrafts. 

All he wanted now was a shower and some heated-up leftovers while flipping through the TV channels until he'd find something that wasn't too stupid. 

He didn't expect to find a furry visitor on the porch to his small house. One that seemed to have expected him, and was now meowing to be let inside. 

"Black, what are  _ you _ doing here?" He bowed down to let her sniff and rub his hand in greeting. 

Her fur seemed a little dusty, and she was meowing like a starving beggar, but she was as well-fed as a cat could be. 

It wasn't the first time she had shown up on his porch, acting as if she had always lived here, greeting him like an old friend. 

He just still hadn't figured out where she really lived, which human she belonged to. Maybe they were bad people and that was why she kept coming here. Or maybe she had just sort of adopted him as her new human. 

Keith had always considered himself more of a dog person, but he had taken a liking to the cat that was now circling his feet, marking him with her scent. 

"Alright, let's see if I have something for you," he said and opened the door, chuckling when Black zoomed past through the barely opened door. 

A while later, he had settled down in front of his TV in his pyjamas and his favourite hoodie, finishing on the last bites of his dinner, a sort of stir-fry from yesterday, and half-heartedly listening to the space documentary he had found. 

Black had rolled up in her favourite spot on the other side of the sofa. She looked a bit like a black hole in the half-light of the room. And she didn't care in the slightest that this wasn't actually her home—she just decided she liked it here and stayed.

Keith didn't care. She was nice enough around him, didn't scratch his furniture, and even let him pet her occasionally. In some way, it was like having a friend around, only one who came and went as they pleased. 

Although he should probably make an attempt at finding out where she actually lived, just to let those humans know that she was okay. Only, she didn't have one of those traditional collars with a name or a phone number he could call. And most likely, she wasn't chipped either.

Keith was checking the news on his datapad, sighing at the repeated stupid headlines about the competition between Galra Tech and Altea Industries, because there was nothing behind it. 

Then he heard a knock on his door. 

He turned his head to look at the door with a scowl, willing the intruder to go away. It was late, and he barely had any chance to decompress from the day.

Another knock, both more insisting and also shyer. 

Grumbling, Keith got up to answer the door. He had a feeling that the intruder wouldn't leave otherwise. So, with a scowl, he pulled the door open. “What?!”

The growled word made the intruder make a step back, his arm still raised for another knock. “I-I’m sorry. I know it’s late, and I probably should have come by tomorrow, but…”

Keith no longer wanted to close the door into the face of the intruder, now that he had a few seconds to absorb the view—a dream of muscles, arms that could easily break his waist, an adorable white floof topping the otherwise accurately shaved head. And a goddamn sheepish smile that made his grumpiness crumble.

“Yeah, it  _ is  _ late,” Keith said after a few seconds of awkward silence between them.

“Well, I’ve been tracking my cat, you know? She keeps disappearing for days, and I just wanted to know where she stays…”

“Your cat?” Keith furrowed his eyebrows, only to glance over his shoulder where Black was still lying on his sofa, a perfectly undisturbed black hole.

“I should have known she’d come back here,” the other man said, rubbing his neck. God, the blush on his cheeks was just cute.

“Come in,” Keith said with a tired smile and stepped aside. “I guess your cat is black and likes to beg for food?”

“Thanks. I’m Shiro, by the way,” the other man said, the blush on his cheeks briefly deepening before he entered. 

“Keith.”

Nodding in acknowledgement, Shiro stepped further inside and had a look around, smiling at the few details Keith had bothered to put up. Then he discovered the cat on the sofa and immediately approached her.

For all the thoughts he had about the cat’s actual human, Keith hadn’t expected that she belonged to this dream of a man. It made him wish he wasn’t wearing his pyjamas but something more representable to impress him. 

What? Did he want to impress a complete stranger?  _ Fuck _ .

“I’m afraid I don’t really have any drinks to serve,” Keith said, trying to sound casual, while totally gone for how much that guy—Shiro!—doted on his cat who was now rubbing her head against his hand. “Just some tea and coffee that doesn’t deserve the name.”

Shiro looked up, and another big smile spread across his face. “I’m… No, you know what? Tea is fine.”

Keith didn’t exactly know why his heart made a happy jump at Shiro staying a little longer. “So, how come your cat keeps coming back here? It’s a huge town, after all…”

“You can say that,” Shiro replied, now leaning against the back of the sofa, with Black on his arms. “I have no idea how she finds her way back here, I live on the other side of town, a little up the hill.”

“Oh, the upper-class area,” Keith commented from the open kitchen area where he tried to find a nice pair of mugs while waiting for the electric kettle to finish boiling the water.

“Yeah, comes with working for Altean Industries. They pay pretty well.”

Keith almost let a mug slip from his fingers but managed to catch it before it could hit the counter. The kettle whistling just a second later was a nice distraction and opportunity to hide his damn burning cheeks.

Shiro chuckled at his plunder, but to Keith’s relief, he didn’t comment on it. “But I once lived here, in this house, I guess that’s why she keeps coming back.”

“You did?”

“Yeah. Actually liked it, but the new place is just  _ so much _ closer to work…”

“Yeah, the commute is hell,” Keith said, glad for the chance to gather himself while pouring the water into the prepared mugs. He returned to the living room area with a broad, slightly blushing smile. “So you’re one of those obnoxious executives?”

“Gods, no!” Shiro laughed, a full belly laugh that was music in Keith’s ears. “Altean Industries wanted me because of my contacts to the Garrison. So I get to work with them on spacecrafts and everything. And sometimes, they actually let me fly one. Even though…”

Now Keith saw him lift his right hand to wiggle the fingers, and only now did he realise that it was actually a prosthetic. It looked custom-made because the shirt over the arm was smooth, no bump or whatsoever.

Keith placed the mugs on the small table in front of the sofa, hastily collecting the dishes of his dinner. He saw that Black had found a spot on the backrest, watching them both with relaxed but curious eyes. 

“So…” Shiro reached for one of the mugs with his prosthetic hand, and Keith briefly wondered if he did feel the heat there. “Where do you work then?”

“Altean Industries. Development though.” Keith sat down on the other side of the sofa, surprisingly drawn to be close to Shiro

“That explains your reaction,” Shiro said with a chuckle and blew over his tea. 

“Yeah, and I had a stupid meeting today with the _shitty_ _executives_ over my designs for the Atlas X-2.”

“Oh, that’s  _ your _ design?” Shiro’s eyes widened in awe just like his smile. “I’ve seen some of it, and I have to say it’s pretty thought through.”

“Thanks.” Keith turned to face Shiro and crossed his legs. He could do without his cheeks blushing again at the simple compliment. “I wish they saw that too.”

Black decided that Keith’s lap was more comfortable, ignoring Shiro’s pout that just made Keith laugh out loud. 

“I think she likes you,” Shiro then said, chuckling. “I have to say, she has good taste in humans.”

This time, Keith tried to hide his repeated blush behind his mug, while he gently scratched Black in her favourite spot behind the ears. “So, want to get lunch together tomorrow?”

Shiro brushed over Black’s back in a gentle move, not pulling back when their hands touched. “I’d love to. Would love to hear more about the Atlas X-2.”

Keith’s heart made another small jump when he saw the enticing look in Shiro’s eyes. It felt absolutely fluttering. “Prepare for a presentation then…”

“Can’t wait.”

Keith stopped scratching Black’s ears when he noticed Shiro’s hand searching his deliberately. It was big, but damn the touch was soft, inviting even. After another second, he turned his hand to offer for Shiro to hold it. 

And with a soft smile, Shiro twined their fingers. “I think I should thank Black for guiding me here…”

Keith nodded, because yeah, he had to agree—they probably should thank Black for bringing them together tonight. 

And he was glad for it.


	7. Then Kiss Him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _Character A has a text convo with their friend, or so they think, about wanting to kiss Character B. However, they are unknowingly texting B who plays along (and who has a crush on A too)._

Shiro was taking a short coffee break from his work, enjoying a few minutes in the sun as he sat in the outside area that his employer had installed to boost productivity. Lots of green in the form of trees, grass, bushes, and flowers as colourful sprinkles in-between.

He loved working for Altean Industries, even though his job can be stressful sometimes. And today was one of those days—it was the first break between meetings he could really take a breath and clear his head. 

After another sip of coffee, Shiro pulled out his smartphone to check for new messages. To his delight, there was a message from Keith. Even if it was just a series of heart-eyes emojis in response to a picture of Black he had sent him, it still lifted his mood significantly.

It even made his heart beat a little faster.

Black had brought them together. And ever since, they had been on a few lunch dates and constantly chatting about work and how much they both love everything related to space. And with Keith, he felt comfortable to geek out about spacecrafts and the newest technology, and simply be met with the same passion.

Looking at the screen, he pondered whether they were ready for the next step. He had messed up previous dates with either being too forward or not fast enough, never feeling as comfortable as he did now with Keith.

But maybe that was a sign.

> _Any plans for dinner?_

Shiro’s heart made a small jump when he saw the checks go blue and the tiny dots appear, indicating that Keith was responding. Damn, he hadn’t thought that far!

> _ Probs some take-out from Tang’s. _
> 
> _ Exter wants some remodelling done on the Atlas X-2. It’s killing me. _
> 
> _ Can’t you talk some sense into him? _

Shiro chuckled, because Keith had mentioned Exter before and how much of an ass he apparently was, driving everyone in the Development department up the walls with his demands.

> _ I can give him feedback but no promises.  _
> 
> _ Btw, there’s a new space documentary on Netflix.  _
> 
> _ Yep. That was the plan tonight. _
> 
> _ Wanna come over and make fun of it together? _
> 
> _ You bring the food though… _

Shiro almost let his phone fall in surprise. He had been thinking about how to ask Keith without seeming too straightforward, and that man just has no such qualms whatsoever. It does very funny things to his belly, and all of a sudden, there’s a fluttery feeling spreading slowly through his body. A very warm and happy fluttering. 

> _ My last meeting with the Garrison people is at 5. Might be at yours around 730 maybe?  _
> 
> _ Iverson is coming too, and he usually wants to have a little chat. So don’t pin me down on that time. I promise I’ll hurry. _
> 
> _ I won’t start without you. ;-) _
> 
> _ What’s your fave at Tang’s? _
> 
> _ That really really hot thai curry. The one with the shrimps. _
> 
> _ See you later. :-D _
> 
> _ Sanda wants my attention… _

Shiro barely resisted sending the heart emoji in response, because that would probably have been too much. He still grinned broadly, and he couldn’t wait to leave the office this evening. Maybe he should call the take-out place to make sure they have some that curry left when he’d come by to pick it up.

His musings were rather abruptly interrupted when the phone started to ring rather urgently, the display showed Matt’s number.

“Yeah?”

“Shiro! Research department! NOW!”

He checked his watch and realised with wide eyes and a gasp, that he was supposed to be in a briefing that started five minutes ago. “Shit! On my way!”

It was close to eight that evening when Shiro finally made it to Keith’s house, immediately noting a sense of familiarity and home once he stood on the porch. The smell of food coming from the containers in the bag he held with his prosthetic hand, it was making him hungry.

Keith opened the door with a big, welcoming smile and stepped aside to let him in. “Did you get the curry?”

“Yup.” Shiro held up the bag with a wink. “They just made a fresh batch.”

“Yes!” Keith grabbed the bag as if it contained his most treasured possession, licking his lips in anticipation.

Shiro found the move absolutely enticing, and he couldn’t help but stare for a few seconds. Then he caught himself and downplayed any potential awkwardness with a grin and a step further inside. But now, his mind was fixed on that little lick, and what Keith’s lips would feel like against his.

“How’s Black? Still pouting that you keep her inside?” Cradling the bag with his precious extra hot Thai curry, Keith closed the door and then led Shiro to the living room area with the sofa and the TV all ready for them.

“Yeah, still is,” Shiro replied with a chuckle as he followed Keith. He let himself collapse on the sofa, starting to feel relaxed for the first time this evening. “This is nice… Fried noodles, a space documentary, and I get to spend the evening with you.”

Keith’s cheeks showed a faint blush before he nudged Shiro in the shoulder. “I so knew you’d go for the basic.  _ Fried noodles _ … Although, fits you, I think. You like your things simple.”

Shiro nodded as he opened his container, glad he remembered to bring chopsticks. He had to laugh when he saw Keith digging hungrily into his, barely showing any signs how hot the curry was.

“I remember when I complained the first time that I didn’t think their  _ hot Thai curry _ was even spicy at all. They thought I’d have the spice tolerance of a weak Westerner,” Keith said between bites with an almost devious grin. “You should have seen them when I just ate a plate of their strongest curry as if it was nothing just to prove them wrong. So I’m probably one of their favourite customers now…”

Shiro laughed when Keith imitated the shop owners and their gaping faces, glad he swallowed his bite moments earlier. “You called them, right?”

“Hey, I just wanted to make sure I get the  _ good _ stuff.” Keith’s cheeks blushed again, and it wasn’t from the heat of the dish. “Thanks for picking it up.”

Now it was Shiro who couldn’t help but blush, and he distracted himself with the next bite. He rather chew on something than blurt something out that might embarrass him.

“I totally forgot to put on the documentary,” Keith said, fishing for the remote to press start. His container was already empty, and he curled up his legs to make himself comfortable. “You know, it might actually be good.”

Finished with fried noodles, Shiro made himself just as comfortable on the sofa, although he was highly aware of Keith’s presence next to him. Right now, he’d watch anything just to have Keith so close. It was delightful torture, and he was all in for it.

So, Shiro spent the first half of the documentary willing himself to focus on the documentary, actually surprised how they did discover the first known  _ white hole _ . But the longer it went on, the less he was able to keep his focus on the documentary, and his gaze repeatedly drifted over to Keith in all his curled-up, smiling beauty

Shiro was especially drawn to how Keith kept licking his lips or bit them absent-mindedly. It was mesmerising. 

He needed to get his act together! This was way too early to think about kissing. But damn, he felt drawn to Keith like a moth to light.

To distract himself, Shiro pulled out his phone, almost disappointed when there were no new notifications on the display. But then, the reason for most of his notifications these days sat right next to him.

> _ Matt! _
> 
> _ I’m in hell!  _
> 
> _ Hell? _
> 
> _ Not still stuck with Iverson? _
> 
> _ No no no no!  _
> 
> _ I’m sitting next to Keith _
> 
> _ And all I want is to kiss him _
> 
> _ Sorry.  _
> 
> _ Didn’t mean to overshare– _

From the corner of his eyes, Shiro saw Keith smile, lips turned up into a happy curl. He quickly turned away when Keith noticed him, hating how hot his cheeks suddenly felt.

> _ Then kiss him? _
> 
> _ No no no no no no no! _
> 
> _ Heavens! No! _
> 
> _ I’d love to tho… _
> 
> _ You think too much _
> 
> _ Seriously _

Keith stretched his legs and then got up turning around the sofa to walk to the kitchen. “Need a drink.”

Shiro simply nodded, glad for the temporary relief, only to find that he had missed quite a chunk of the documentary as it had moved into theories about what a white hole meant to all the currently existing theories in space physics.

From the kitchen, he could hear Keith chuckle before the fridge was opened and closed. 

And then Shiro’s phone pinged with a new message.

> **_Shiro, you’re officially a doofus_ **
> 
> **_And yes, I just used ‘doofus’_ **
> 
> **_Sue me_ **

It was from Matt.

And then he saw it. He hadn’t been texting Matt. 

“So,” Keith returned with a couple of beers in one hand and his phone in his other. “You’d like to kiss me?”

Shiro wished the ground would swallow him right there and then. This was beyond mortifying, he hadn’t intended to let Keith know at all. At least not tonight. He wanted to say something, anything, to get out of this situation, but his brain currently wasn’t able to form coherent words.

“You’re cute, you know?” Keith placed the beers on the table in front of them, only to then move to sit on Shiro’s lap. With gentle fingers, he tilted Shiro’s head up until he had to look at him. “Because I’ve been thinking about the same thing…”

Hearing this, Shiro somewhat relaxed, smiling when Keith ran a thumb over his lower lip, tempted to suck the finger in for a little tease. “I messed up enough times, so I didn’t want to rush things this time…”

“Mhm,” Keith hummed and leaned down to capture Shiro’s lips in a first tentative but heartfelt kiss, that swept Shiro off his socks completely.

Shiro felt electrified at the touch, and utterly mesmerised by how Keith teased him endlessly into more. It was almost a revelation when he finally parted his lips, and Keith hungrily claimed his mouth, eager to discover it all and make it his.

“‘M in no hurry,” Keith husked when he eventually broke off, hovering close enough for the noses to touch. He was panting heavily, and damn, his lips looked gorgeous in all their red and puffy glory. “If that’s what you want.”

Shiro was utterly smitten as he tried to catch his breath, his heart dancing happily. He pressed a soft kiss on Keith’s lips, unable to articulate any of the thoughts racing in his head.

“I can wait,” Keith whispered happily. “I know it’ll be worth it with you.”

“Oh, I’ll show you–”

“I’m sure you will,” Keith replied with a smirk and leaned down for another kiss, messier and more demanding this time.

“But tonight,  _ this _ is enough,” Shiro said, briefly pulling away because his head started to swim from all the emotions flooding him.

“It is.” 

Then it was Shiro who kissed Keith with all he had, eagerly claiming that fine mouth, and electrified with each touch of their tongues.

He could do that forever.

This had to be  _ his _ piece of Heaven.


	8. Birthday Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _Character A's birthday party is in full swing, but it's too much for them right now, so they grab a bottle of wine and go up to the rooftop. That's where Character B eventually finds them, handing them their small gift._

It was a beautiful evening, and the Milky Way adorned the starry night.

It was Shiro’s birthday too. And since it was his first real one after defeating the Galra Empire and freeing the universe, everyone wanted to celebrate with him. It was his seventh real birthday.

Shiro had been reluctant to agree to the plans of his Paladin friends to throw a big party, but eventually, he caved to Pidge’s famous pout and her promise not to do anything related to a children’s party. He would have been more than content to just have a get-together over a bonfire and drinks, and maybe a BBQ. 

Just time spent with his closest friends.

Away from all his responsibilities that had come with his promotion to admiralty after the victory. They all had been promoted to high-ranking positions as a reward for their vital contribution in defending Earth. 

Shiro felt the love tonight from everyone, the respect they held for him. It had touched him to see all those faces, all those people who had come to celebrate life with him, out here in the desert. Friends they had made along the way, some of the cadets who served on the Atlas—that he still technically commandeered—as well as Iverson and the Holts, and a few more. 

tHe was just rather overwhelmed by it, and he felt oddly out of place at his own birthday party. Oh, he was absolutely grateful for everyone who had shown up and even honoured by it. 

It was just that he had barely had any time to process the experiences he’d gone through, and it would probably take a lifetime to work through it all. Sometimes, it felt as if he had lived several lives in such a short time, and maybe that wasn’t even that far off.

And through it all, Keith had remained a constant presence. They were still dancing around each other—saving each other from their nightmares night by night, yet not admitting anything beyond a closely bonded friendship.

So, between all this, Shiro just needed a moment to himself, to just appreciate the evening and the fact that he survived it all, that he had beaten the odds. He had found a spot on the roof that was quiet but still offered a view over the party. That way, he still felt like he was part of it without feeling drowned in it.

“There you are.” 

Shiro turned around when he heard the familiar soft fall of Keith’s steps coming closer, and he greeted him with a smile. “Yes,  _ here _ I am.”

Keith sat down next to him, both their legs hanging over the edge of the roof. To Shiro’s relief, he had brought him another beer that he offered now. “A bit much, hm?”

“Yeah.” Shiro nodded before he emptied the bottle he had nurtured for the last hour or so. “It’s great to see everyone, but it’s definitely too much right now.”

“Totally get that.” Keith placed the bottle he had brought Shiro between them before he took a sip from his own bottle. “I never got used to it. I mean, the noise, and just the  _ amount _ of people.”

Shiro reached for his new beer, relishing in the cold touch of the glass. “I’m glad you’re here though.”

Keith smiled, and his cheeks seemed to blush ever so slightly. “Wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Shiro felt a small and by now familiar warmth spread in his chest in response to those words, and he tried to cover his own blushing cheeks by lifting the bottle to his lips to have some beer. “How’s your mother? Still involved in turning the Blades into a charity organisation?”

“You know her,” Keith replied with a grin. “And with Kolivan behind her, they’ve been doing a lot of good things… Mostly fighting off the remaining splintered Galra warlords who try to get a piece of the cake, and providing first aid. She loves it.”

Shiro hummed in acknowledgement, gazing over the people below them. 

“Your grandpa called earlier?” Keith then asked, softly kicking Shiro’s shin to get his attention.

“Huh? Oh! Yes, he did!” Shiro chuckled in embarrassment, but then shifted his position to face Keith more fully. “He’s doing good, yeah. Although he complained that his hands are too stiff now to work in his garden. You know how much he loves it.”

“Yeah, you mentioned it.” Keith turned as well so that only one leg remained hanging over the edge and the other neatly folded under him.

“He says hello, by the way.”

“Really? He’s never met me!”

“Well, you know, anyone who is important to me, is important to him. And I  _ might _ have told him that you’re just a tad more important to me than the others.”

Keith pulled his hanging leg up to hide his face behind it before he leaned his chin on it with a sigh. Although the shy smile and the brief spark of adoration shining through in his eyes betrayed him. “Idiot.”

Shiro knew it was meant in an affectionate way, and so he just smiled, letting himself feel a little enchanted or even smitten by Keith and the way he looked right now. It was his birthday, after all.

“Wait, I almost forgot something…” Keith hastily searched through the pockets on his clothing until he produced a small wrapped gift. “For you.”

Shiro almost didn’t dare to open the lovingly wrapped gift, but Keith’s anticipating look encouraged him to do so. Tearing the wrapping paper apart, he discovered a pair of goggles. The type of goggles he had worn on their hoverbike trips through the cliffs and plains of the desert surrounding the city. Seeing them brought back many fond memories of time spent together before he left on the Kerberos mission.

And it made his eyes tear up ever so slightly.

“That’s just one part of my gift,” Keith whispered with a happy smile and leaned closer. “The other part is parked at my place, ready for you to pick up.”

“Keith!” Shiro let out an astonished gasp. “You mean… You bought me a hoverbike?”

“Yup. State of the art, newest technology and everything. And it has space for two.”

“You didn’t have to,” Shiro replied softly, his voice cracking ever so slightly. “That’s too much… And-And I don’t even have the time anymore to–”

“You deserve it.” Keith’s voice was now cracking too, and he reached out to touch Shiro’s cheek, gently wiping away a tear that had found its way down. “I loved those rides back then, and I know you enjoyed it too. I still remember your laugh… And I would love to hear it again.”

“I only accept it if you promise to come on rides with me.” Shiro leaned into the soft touch of Keith’s fingers. It was in the spur of the moment, but he moved his head to place a kiss on Keith’s palm, reverent and heartfelt.

“As many times as you want… You know I’d follow you through the universe and back.” Keith’s words were a whisper now, and they made Shiro’s heart feel almost overflowing with emotions.

Maybe that was the reason why Shiro leaned forward to close the gap between them, his flesh hand now cupping Keith’s cheek who drew a breath at the touch, but then he smiled. Shiro was so close now that they almost bumped their noses, fascinated by the adoration he could see in Keith’s purple-hued eyes as they gazed at him. 

No more hiding. No more dancing around each other.

“Every time, for the rest of our lives,” Shiro whispered after a few more seconds that felt like an eternity. His heart was racing now, hammering hard against his chest when he pressed his lips against Keith’s. 

Keith melted into the touch, immediately responding in kind, coaxing him into parting his lips, and Shiro eventually obliged.

And for the first time in a long time, Shiro felt like he was where he belonged. Here with Keith. With the promise of _forever_ on their lips. And with the promise of _home_ in their hearts.


	9. Baisemain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _Baisemain - A kiss on the hand._

It was an incredibly soft touch to the back of his hand that woke Keith up. Soft, barely there. Yet, it meant so much.

Following that touch, Keith fought his way back to consciousness, to a body that ached all over, and a head that was drumming.

And a world that had been saved.

However, when Keith opened his eyes to a thankfully dimmed hospital room, he was alone. Only the beeping of the machines next to his bed filled the silence. He sighed, trying not to let disappointment take over. He might as well just have imagined it.

Fuck, his head hurt! It made his eyes feel as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. To ease the throbbing pain and keep the slowly welling nausea at bay, he closed his eyes again. A small smile curled his lips up as he touched the back of his hand with his other, tracing the touch that had brought him back.

A few minutes later, the door to his hospital room was opened again, just as he was about to drift off to sleep. Soft steps entered, and he knew immediately that it wasn’t the person he wanted to be here.

“Mr Kogane?” a soft voice addressed him; someone was next to his bed, checking the machines recording his vitals. “You’re awake, finally.”

Keith moved in response to her words, reminding him sharply of his bruised body and the fucking throbbing head. 

“Move slowly, you took a pretty hard hit to your head when you fell…”

He remembered the fall. Transformed into Voltron, they had taken a hard beating, defeated by one last robeast powered by another Altean. He remembered images of the Atlas finally destroying it before he lost his consciousness. After that, it had been mostly dark, with flashes of Shiro running into his lion, and hearing a few murmured words at some point.

How long had he been out?

“The admiral will be glad to hear that you’re awake.” A few additional beeps indicated that the nurse was adapting the settings on one machine. “The doctor will check on you in a few minutes. Can you stay awake until then? I would love to keep disturbances to a minimum while you recover.”

Keith nodded. And then opened his eyes again, wincing at the light, even though it was still dimmed to the same level. 

The nurse greeted him with a relieved, but still professional smile. “Welcome back, Mr Kogane. I’ll inform the doctors now.”

Keith opened his lips to say something, but his mouth felt incredibly dry, so nothing came out. It frustrated him immensely. So, instead, he pointed at his head to let her know that the throbbing was almost blinding him.

She nodded in understanding. “I’ll bring you something.”

Keith watched her leave, glad to be left alone again, wishing for Shiro to be here.

* * *

It was a kiss to his hand that woke Keith from a deep, dreamless sleep. Soft, barely there. Yet, again, it meant so much.

He smiled before he opened his eyes. His head no longer throbbed, only a low background drumming remained. 

A big, callous hand slid underneath his, and fingers were carefully wrapped around his wrist. “Hey, there.”

He took hold of the hand and gently squeezed it in response. And a few seconds later, he opened his eyes, greeted by Shiro’s relieved smile. “Hey…”

“Glad to have you back.” 

“Glad...Glad to be back.” 

Shiro’s relieved smile grew wider in response to Keith’s words, even though they were barely audible. “You had a pretty bad fall.”

Keith nodded, feeling the exhaustion crawl back and threatening him to take him over. But Shiro was here now. He didn’t want to sleep. “You look bad.”

“I-I…” Shiro’s smile faltered for a second, and a sigh escaped him. “I haven’t slept much… I have a lot to do, but whenever I could, I was here. Waiting for you to wake up.”

“You were here?”

Shiro nodded, biting his lower lip, and still smiling softly. His fingers started drawing soothing patterns on Keith’s wrist. “The others have all woken up a few days ago…”

“I’m glad.” It was indeed a relief for Keith to hear that the others had survived that disastrous fight. Why hadn’t they been able to defeat it? What had he done wrong? What decision had been a mistake?

“Hey… No need to worry about the fight. You did your best, Keith.” Shiro pulled the chair so that his face was closer to Keith’s. And those beautiful grey eyes that were still so full of concern.

Groaning, Keith turned on his side, and he briefly felt dizzy. After a few seconds and a few worried murmurs from Shiro, the dizziness abated. “We wouldn’t have made it without you. _I_ wouldn’t have made it without you.”

Shiro pushed a few strands out of Keith’s face, careful not to move the bandages that were still wrapped around his head. “You’re back, that’s all that counts right now.”

* * *

It was a kiss on his hand that made Keith open his eyes. Soft, barely there. It meant the world to him.

His body no longer felt like a giant bruise, and the concussion had finally receded. He’d feel tired for a long while, and there will be scars to remind him of how close he came to death.

It was sunny outside, and today, he’d be released from the hospital.

“Ready?” Shiro asked softly, standing next to his bed, a wheelchair behind him.

“Do I really have to sit in _that_?” Keith asked, scrunching his face. A wheelchair felt like an admission of weakness, and he’d rather not show it.

“Hospital regulations... I’m sorry.”

“Ugh. I wish we could just wormhole to your quarters.” Keith moved to sit up, even managed to sling his feet over the edge. For the few steps over to the wheelchair, he was glad for Shiro’s strong hand stabilising him.

His legs felt so weak.

“You’re doing fine.”

“I can barely walk. I don’t call that _fine_.” Keith huffed and started to push away Shiro’s hands when he proceeded to place a cover on his legs. 

“You’ll be kicking my ass in no time again,” Shiro replied, an amused tone to his voice. But to Keith’s relief, he understood the motion and removed the cover, leaving it on the bed. “But you’re allowed to rest, you know?”

Keith grumbled in response, but he was glad that Shiro was the one picking him up to bring him home. That Shiro was the one who had decided to reduce his responsibilities to the bare minimum to take care of him. That for Shiro, he was the most important person in the universe.

And that there was a promise of Shiro waking him with more kisses to the hand.

“Let’s go,” Keith said, nudging Shiro’s thigh to get him moving. “There’s a sofa to occupy, and shows to watch.”

Shiro laughed, and then pushed the wheelchair out of the door. “I have a lot.”


	10. Now Would Be A Good Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _I'm like 75% sure this won't explode on us._

It was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission on the planet after hearing about possible activities of a Galra warlord after the fall of Zarkon’s empire.

It was anything but a simple reconnaissance mission.

It was a get-away-to-save-your-ass kind of mission right now.

“Keith! Start the pod now!” Shiro shouted from the back of the small flying device, fighting off the sentries that tried to enter through the still open hatch. “Keith! Now!”

“It took a hit, gimme a second!” Keith shouted back with an irritated tone as he worked on the controls. And then, a few agonisingly long seconds later, the hatch finally closed, and the thrusters roared up.

“That was close!” Shiro took a deep breath and then joined Keith in the cockpit. Sitting down in the spare seat, he rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension.

Keith spared him a quick gaze and a smile before he focused on the display again. “Thanks for fighting them off. I had to recalibrate a few things to get the pod running. And the thrusters are still only running at like fifty percent. We’re lucky we made it out of there like this.”

“Communications?”

Keith shook his head. “I had to reroute that power to the thrusters. I want to get out of their range first.”

Shiro understood. Just because they made it to the pod didn’t mean they were out of danger yet. They were still running high on adrenaline from fighting their way back to the pod, faced with a small army of sentries that had clearly waited for them.

“Fuck.” Keith slammed the controls of the pod to take a sharp turn, and a shot from the ground missed them just barely. It might as well have scratched them, leaving damage on the hull. “They have one of those long-range ion cannons.”

“Got it.” Shiro activated the weapons’ display on his smaller display. To his relief, their main weapon still seemed functional. “We could take the cannon out–”

“Not with the thrusters only at fifty percent. I’m glad I can maneuver as it is. Another hit and we won’t be able to leave the orbit  _ at all _ .”

“Right.” 

Keith let out a frustrated groan when the thrusters didn’t react fast enough to his commands, and another shot from the ion cannon missed them dangerously close. And then another when the part of the head-up display blared that tracked possible pursuers. 

“Take them out, Shiro.”

Shiro nodded and immediately started firing at the pursuing Galra fighters, compensating easily for Keith’s maneuvers. They managed to keep them off, although fighting like this, they couldn’t get out of the atmosphere of the planet. The pod didn’t have enough energy for both things.

“Keith, sharp left!” Shiro shouted when he saw the Galra fighter coming in hot from their right, almost too late. Shiro was briefly pushed into his seat when Keith followed his command, bringing them into a dive. 

Their pod still took another hit from that fighter, and now the display in front of Shiro was blaring loudly. Several of the weapons had been damaged, and the main weapon was barely operational. 

“Now would be a good time, Shiro…”

“I’m doing what I can!” Shiro needed a second they didn’t really have to figure out how to boost the main weapon enough to give them a chance to shake off the pursuing Galra fighters. “I need to reroute from the inertia dampeners, or else I don’t have enough power.”

“Do it. I’ve flown in worse conditions.” 

“At least you won’t throw up like Hunk.” Shiro adapted the system and the main weapon came back online, even though it was still blaring a small warning that a piece was damaged.

“What’s up with the blaring? Damage?”

“Yes.”

“Just great... Hold on.” Keith took another dive, and Shiro thought he felt his stomach wander up to his throat. “Get that shot in, Shiro!”

“Right.” Shiro tried to get a hold on the closest fighter tailing them, although it was much more difficult without the full inertia dampeners. The first shot took the Galra fighter out, letting it collide with another one. Only, the blaring grew louder.

“I hate that sound,” Keith let out, pushing the thrusters to the limit to get higher.

“There’s a chance of it exploding,” Shiro replied matter-of-factly, trying to get hold of the remaining Galra fighter tailing them. “But I’m 75% sure it won’t explode on us.”

“Would just be our luck if it did!” Keith tried a maneuver to give Shiro a better view of the remaining fighter, and Shiro was pushed into his seat once more, distracting him only for a split-second.

It was a relief when they saw the fighter explode after a hit, giving them the chance to leave the atmosphere. And no longer needing the boost for the main weapon, Shiro rerouted the power to the inertia dampeners just as they reached one of the planet’s moons. 

However, they only took a breath after they passed the neighbouring planet, which finally put them out of reach of the damn ion cannon. Keith turned on the autopilot and took off his helmet to rub his face and let out a frustrated scream into his hand. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

“They knew we were coming…” Shiro took his helmet off as well and closed his eyes for a moment. His heart was still racing in his chest, and it would take him a moment to come down. A glance over to Keith showed that it was most likely the same for him. 

Shiro was sure that having Keith partner up with him on this mission saved his ass, as they worked like a smooth unit, watching each other’s back, and maybe a little reckless in protecting each other sometimes. 

He was glad to have him in his life.

“Safe enough to open communications with the Atlas?” Shiro then asked, after another deep breath. “They need to pick us up.”

Keith nodded and worked on his display to reroute the power to the communications console he previously needed for their escape. He winced several times, and then pulled the glove off his right hand. “Damn. At least two fingers are broken… Not even gonna start on the rest of my body until we’re back on the Atlas.”

Shiro could feel his shoulders burn from the effort to keep the sentries out just minutes ago, and there was a sharp pain on his hip, which probably meant another bruise to add to his collection or another scar. 

After another moment, Shiro established audio communications with the Atlas. “Captain Shirogane here. We need pick-up.”

“Captain!” Veronica’s voice replied with relief. “You were due an hour ago.”

“It was an ambush.” Keith sighed, but now that the adrenaline high was wearing off, his smile returned. The one he only ever showed Shiro.

“Pick us up at the coordinates I’ve sent you,” Shiro then said, now smiling as well. And glad that his crew couldn’t see them right now. 

“Yes, sir! We’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Thanks.” With that, Shiro closed the audio channel, and leaned back, watching Keith log in the coordinates into the autopilot. “We should have taken the lion…”

“That’s like waving with a sign that we’re coming. We agreed that the pod would be less suspicious.”

Shiro nodded, rolling his shoulders again to loosen the muscles a bit, wincing as the burn momentarily spiked. “I feel like I’m getting too old for this stuff.”

“Nah, you still kicked ass today.” Keith got up from his seat, only to come over to Shiro to let himself fall into Shiro’s lap. “What do you think, how long will it take them to get there?”

“Half an hour maybe?” Shiro liked the teasing spark in Keith’s eyes as he hovered over him.

“Enough time for me,” Keith replied with a smirk and leaned down to claim Shiro’s lips in a kiss that had both forgetting everything else in moments. Keith’s lips were hot against Shiro’s, searing and all-consuming.

As Keith always was after a fight. 

Just as Shiro loved it.


	11. Knock On Door 478

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _“Embarrassing package that Character A ordered accidentally gets delivered to Character B’s house/apartment”_

Keith had been waiting for this package for weeks, if not months. And today, he had received the notification on his data pad that it had been delivered. Oh, he couldn’t wait to get out of his office and home to his package.

“Dude, what are you smiling at?” 

Keith looked up from his data pad and across the desk, straight at Lance who always was an annoyingly curious brat who didn’t quite understand the concept of boundaries and private matters. For whatever reason, however, Lance considered him a friend of sorts, and that meant he continued to pester Keith.

“Nothing,” Keith replied flatly, closing the notification email before Lance even had the chance to have a look at it. No one needed to know that he had ordered one of those merchandise sets of his favourite TV show. 

One he had loved as a child, and there had been that one set he always wanted for his birthday but never got.

And now he had found one online, for a horrifyingly expensive price, but he just _had_ to have it. And it was waiting for him at home. All he had to do now was to get through the remaining couple of hours at work, pouring over the designs of a new drive technology his company was developing.

“Did Allura say yes yet?” Keith then asked because he knew as long as Lance complained about his failure to get a date with the woman who headed the research department, he’d forget to pester Keith about the notification.

And Lance did as expected. “I’ve seen Lotor flirt with her this morning, ugh. You should have seen her, blushing and making puppy eyes at him…”

Hours later, Keith finally arrived at his apartment building, excited to finally get his hands on the package that surely waited in front of his apartment door. But when he reached his floor, there was no package waiting in front of his door. 

No no no! It was supposed to be here.

He let out a frustrated growl and entered his apartment, barely restraining himself from hitting the wall in the hallway. All he wanted was that package, had been excited all afternoon, and now there was nothing.

Without taking his bike jacket off, he went over to the fridge for a beer, something to flush down his frustration before he’d take his evening shower.

The cold beverage hit the right spot, and after a second gulp, he felt sheepish for a moment about his childish reaction to the missing package. After the third one, he even had to laugh about it. He was a grown-up man, and the package was basically a child’s toy set.

With a chuckle, he placed the empty bottle on the counter and then noticed the piece of paper on the floor in front of his apartment door. Had it been there already when he had come in?

His curiosity piqued, he picked it up.

> _‘Hi,_
> 
> _I think the delivery guy mixed up our apartment numbers and handed me your package._
> 
> _Knock on door 478._
> 
> _I’m Shiro btw.’_

Moments later, Keith found himself a floor below his, standing in front of the apartment the note had mentioned. He felt apprehensive all of a sudden, unsure whether he should knock or not. He hadn’t really met any of his neighbours yet, and to be honest, he preferred it that way.

He wasn’t that good at socialising, and the people he worked with were probably the closest he had to friends. And maybe the few people online who shared his interest in the TV show.

And now he was standing in front of the apartment door of a stranger, his hand raised to knock.

Ugh. He just hoped that his friendly neighbour hadn’t had a look inside the package. It would be too damn embarrassing to explain...

The sound of his knock echoed in the hallway, and Keith was sure it was a bad idea. He was about to turn around and run back to the stairs when the door was unlocked and opened. As soon as he saw the neighbour behind door 478, his brain briefly forgot how to form sentences. At least, he managed to keep himself composed and not gape at this dream of a man mindlessly.

“Hi-Hi… I’m Keith. The package?”

“Oh, that’s _you_!” Shiro showed a bright smile with a hint of blush on his cheeks, then he stepped aside. “Why don’t you come in?”

Keith took a moment to process the words, as he was still focusing on keeping himself composed and acting normal. “Oh… Oh. Yeah.”

Shiro’s apartment looked surprisingly comfortable, filled with personal items and pictures on the walls. It helped Keith relax a little, even more so when he discovered a small familiar figurine on the shelf as Shiro led him towards the living room area. 

“Is that the Black Lion?”

“Hm?” Shiro turned around to Keith pointing at the figurine, and the blush on his cheeks certainly was adorable. “Oh… Ah, yes. I was a fan when I was a boy. Helped me through some stuff.”

That was when Keith noticed the metal hand peeking out of the sleeves of the hoodie Shiro was wearing. It was easy to guess what that _‘stuff’_ might have been, but it wasn’t his place to ask. “I liked the Red Lion a little more. She’s more agile, you know?”

“But it doesn’t have wings,” Shiro replied, and his previous sheepish smile turned into a smirk. “So, you’re a fan too?”

“You kidding?” Keith chuckled. His previous concerns about knocking at the door of a stranger had disappeared—meeting Shiro easily was the highlight of his day now. “It made me go into space engineering because I wanted to be an astronaut…”

“Hey, me too!” With another smile, Shiro pushed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. “Almost made it even.”

“I can totally see you in one of those suits on, like, Kerberos. Although, might be a tight fit on you…”

Shiro blushed again, and Keith had to admit he liked it. It was endearing to see a tall, muscled guy—that was totally NOT his type!—blush so easily. And no, Keith wasn’t developing a crush on Shiro right now. Nope.

“So,” Shiro said a few seconds later, rubbing his neck with his flesh hand. “The package is on the sofa table… I haven’t looked inside, I promise.”

Keith looked over to the sofa, and there it was—his package. He glanced over to Shiro before stepping up to the sofa table, stroking his fingers over the still sealed top. “It’s something I always wanted as a child.”

“Really?” Shiro joined him, pushing that white floof out of his eyes. “Let me guess, it’s red and agile?”

Now it was Keith who could feel his cheeks burn. “Wasn’t hard to guess, hm?”

“No, not really,” Shiro replied with a shake of his head and a teasing smirk. “But now I’m intrigued…”

Keith ran his fingers across the edges, eager to open it. Yet, it was also an almost reverent touch, a little anxious about what he’d find inside. Would it hold up to his childhood fantasies?

“Want to open it?” Shiro asked, and it took Keith a moment to register that he was holding up a knife. “I mean, it would be okay if not, it’s your package after all.”

“Only if I get a drink.” Keith did reach for the knife, twirling it between his fingers. He had to chuckle when he saw Shiro run back to the kitchen to fetch a couple of beers, from a local brewery. 

“I feel like we need to thank the delivery guy for his mistake,” Shiro said when he placed Keith’s bottle next to the package. “Never thought I’d met another fan in this city, let alone in the same apartment building.”

“Same.” 

As soon as Keith had opened the package, he knew that it had been worth both the exorbitant amount of money and the wait. It was just like in his fantasies as a child, and he felt giddy to finally hold the set in his hands. 

“Wow… I’ve read about those sets and how hard they are to get your hands on. Man, you’re lucky!” Shiro leaned closer for a better look at the parts, face wide in awe.

“Yeah, lucky indeed,” Keith replied, trying to contain that fluttery feeling in his stomach. “Wanna help me put it together? Like tomorrow evening?”

“Is that a date?” Shiro asked with an innocent tone, which was immediately betrayed by a spark of interest in his eyes. And was that a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows?

Keith almost choked on his beer but managed to keep the gulp out of his airway at the last moment. It still took him a second or two to recompose himself and just play it cool. “Yeah, sure.”

Yeah, totally cool. 

Keith didn’t exactly care anymore, as he felt like he hit the jackpot tonight. Not only did he get his package, but he might also have gotten a date out of it with this walking dream of a man. 

He couldn’t wait for tomorrow evening.


	12. We Don't... Flirt?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _Manager says that the only reason why the restaurant where we work at is popular is because people enjoy eating while watching our relentless flirting with each other. But I swear to God we're not flirting???_

It was half an hour after closing time, and officially way past midnight; Shiro was still cleaning the bar after another successful evening with order after order. Keith meanwhile cleaned the tables in the serving area, glad that he didn’t have to do the floors as well.

The exhausted silence was only interrupted by clanging sounds from the kitchen, where Thace was cleaning the pots while Hunk probably scrubbed the surfaces. 

Shiro was just readying the trash bag to be brought to the container in the back when Kolivan entered the bar area, holding a set of envelopes in his hands. He had counted the money in the office, as well as calculated the share of tips for everyone, with a fixed percentage for the cooks in the back.

“Boys, your tips.”

Cleaning cloth still in his hand, Keith came over, not even attempting to hide the yawn that was forcing his jaw open. He placed the cloth on his shoulder and grabbed the envelope with his name, checking the content. “You sure?”

Shiro checked his tips as well, as his eyes grew wide in surprise and he let out a whistle. “Wow. That’s like a week’s salary…”

A rare smile showed up on Kolivan’s face. “You should read some of the reviews people post about the restaurant. They love the food, but you two are the stars.”

Keith shared a glance with Shiro, who looked about as confused as he was. “We’re just doing our job? You know, just following your rules about being good hosts and everyt–”

Now Kolivan chuckled, which confused them even more. “I watched you two tonight… You put on a great show flirting with each other, and people like that.”

“We don’t...  _ flirt _ ?” Keith let out in astonishment, brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what Kolivan just said. “We just make jokes?”

“Yeah, just jokes,” Shiro added with the same confused astonishment. “That’s what friends do working at the same place… No  _ flirting _ .”

“Huh-uh,” Kolivan commented with a look that clearly showed that he didn’t believe a single word. “I want you to work on Thursday evenings as well–”

“Kolivan! That’s three nights in a row,” Shiro protested, leaning against the bar counter with his arms crossed. 

“If you want us to work more nights, then no more opening or lunch shifts. And a pay rise.” Keith crossed his arms as well. He was tired, and not in the mood for shift negotiations. All he wanted was to finish cleaning the tables, help Shiro bring the trash outside and then get home and collapse on his bed. More or less in that order. “For both of us.”

“Think about it,” Kolivan said with a brief nod before he turned around to return to his office.

And with a sigh, Keith returned to the tables that still needed cleaning, albeit not without a slightly sheepish grin towards Shiro who was rubbing his neck and then remembered the trash bag.

“So,” Shiro began as he held the back door open for Keith a little while later. He had put on his purple hoodie, and exhaustion was now visible on his face. Still, a small teasing smile curled up his lips. “You were  _ flirting _ with me the whole time?”

Keith zipped up his biker jacket, hoping that Shiro didn’t see the flush on his cheeks. Gods, he liked Shiro and how easy he was to work with. Not to mention, he was a walking eye candy with his broad shoulders and that bright smile. 

“Maybe,” Keith said after another heartbeat, looking at Shiro again. He tried to keep his hands from fidgeting by putting them in his jacket pockets. “I mean, looking back, you’ve been flirting with me too. You kept calling me  _ ‘baby’ _ all evening…”

Oh, that made Shiro blush. Deeply.

“I...I did?” 

“Yeah.” 

Grinning sheepishly, Shiro brushed his floof back and then moved his hand to his neck. “I didn’t notice.”

Keith bit his lip because that embarrassed look on Shiro’s face didn’t exactly help, it just made him even more adorable. No, he wasn’t crushing on his colleague, not at all. “I like working with you, you know?”

Shiro nodded, his cheeks still flushed, but his grin was much more confident now. “Yeah?”

“Y-Yeah. I mean, it’s fun.” Holding the keys in his hand in his pocket, Keith made a step towards his bike that was parked close to the back door. He was glad it wasn’t too far off, but then, he didn’t want to part with Shiro yet. He wanted to have his company a little longer. “And besides my mom, you might be the only person allowed to call me  _ baby _ . I like it when it comes from you…”

Shiro licked his lips, probably not totally aware of it, and Keith was transfixed by the movement of the tongue. Keith didn’t even dare to look in Shiro’s eyes, not sure what he’d see there.

“I think the Red Lion is still open,” Shiro said, and Keith just wanted to wipe that smile off his face, preferably with a kiss. “Wanna grab a drink?”

Keith needed an eternally long moment to process the words, but then he let out an exhausted sigh. “I think I better go home. I-I mean, I’d love to have a drink with you, really. I’m just exhausted and I’d probably fall asleep at the table.”

Shiro nodded in understanding, and there was his tongue again licking his bottom lip. “Yeah, same honestly. Shoulder hurts a bit… See you tomorrow?”

“Sure,  _ baby _ .” And with that, Keith climbed his bike, smiling when he heard Shiro’s chuckle. After one last glance, he drove off, looking forward to their next shift.

* * *

“Shiro, you have the martinis ready for table ten?” Keith asked as he came back to the bar, his small notepad in hand with the next orders from his tables.

“Of course,  _ baby _ . Exactly as you ordered,” Shiro replied with his bright smile, placing the two martini glasses on Keith’s tray. “You look gorgeous tonight, by the way.”

Two of the women sitting at the bar over a spritzer coughed as if they swallowed their drinks down the wrong throat. 

Keith tried to ignore his hot cheeks and the stupid smile he couldn’t contain, and instead checked his notepad. “A spritz for table twelve, a gin and tonic for table five, and a rum coke for table eight…”

“A spritz, a gin and tonic, and a rum coke,” Shiro repeated to make sure he understood right and immediately pulled out the glass he needed for the spritz while Keith reached for the tray with the martinis.

“When’s your break?” Keith asked, glancing over to the two women who had recovered from the coughing fit and who were still watching them with interest. 

“Half an hour I think…”

“Good.” Putting his professional smile back on, Keith returned to the seated area with the martinis. 

The time until their short break went fast, filled with more banter whenever Keith returned to the bar to place the next order of drinks, or pick up the next food order from the kitchen with tonight’s special. To the delight of the two women at the bar, he even threw a kiss towards Shiro, who blushed furiously in response. 

Shiro was already outside, leaning against the wall next to the back door when Keith opened the door.

“Fresh air, mhm…” Keith took a deep breath and stretched his arms. 

“Mhm, yeah.” Shiro nodded, watching him trying to relax his shoulders. “I meant what I said earlier… I like what you did with your hair.”

Keith brushed over his braid, suddenly all self-conscious about it. He had done it on a whim, feeling like it. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Shiro reached for Keith’s hand that was still running over the strands of the braid. “Suits you.”

Feeling emboldened by the caressing touch, Keith stepped closer. He thought he could see something in Shiro’s eyes that made his heart jolt. Something that might have been there before but he never noticed until Kolivan had mentioned their little flirting game.

Because yes, they  _ were _ flirting in public, having fun making each other blush and smile. 

Keith could hear Shiro hitch his breath when he placed his hands on those broad pecs, letting them wander up to Shiro’s neck with the softest of touches. Keith was sure now that he had read Shiro right last night, and now even further encouraged by him.

“Can I…?” he whispered, his face so close to Shiro’s now that they bumped their noses, and his heart beating faster as he looked into Shiro’s eyes. 

Shiro responded by capturing Keith’s lips in a kiss, fingers digging into his hair and leaving a delightfully prickling trail on his scalp. It was tender and heartfelt, and it felt so reassuring.

“Gorgeous,  _ baby _ .” 

Keith smiled broadly at the pet name, his forehead leaning against Shiro’s as they tried to catch their breath. “I like you saying that…”

“I like saying it…” Shiro pressed another kiss on Keith’s lips. “Wanna grab a drink after work?”

“Yeah. Sounds nice.” Keith checked his watch and sighed. “Break is almost over.”

“Then let’s go back inside before they find us here. I need to go to the bathroom anyway.”

“Yeah, I don’t wanna hear Kolivan saying  _ ‘told you so’ _ just yet.” Keith stepped back and opened the door for Shiro to go through.

“That man sees everything…” Shiro laughed and walked past Keith, but not without running his fingers across Keith’s cheek, almost ghosting over the skin. “Ready for part two?”

“With you,  _ handsome _ ? Definitely.”

Oh, Keith couldn’t wait for the shift to be over. After all, there was a promise of more kisses waiting for him. Deeper ones, and maybe hungrier, messier ones too.

He was eager to know where it would lead them.


	13. Morning Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _I work opening shift. Whenever I get there at 5:30am, somehow, you're always already there, looking flawlessly put together. You haven't had your coffee yet, tell me your secret!_

In Keith’s opinion, anyone thinking that opening a coffee shop when it was still dark outside and making the most not-morning person take the opening shift should get a knife to their heart and have it slowly turned around for maximally inflicted pain. 

The manager of his coffee shop certainly deserved it.

Keith carried the shop signs outside, internally thanking the evening shift for being nice enough to update it with today’s offers. A hard yawn forced its way to the surface and he cursed his shop manager again for giving him those unforgiving early hours. His bed had been so nice and warm just an hour ago.

He returned inside, sighing at the prospect of having to put the chairs down, start up the coffee machine, and put the food they sold on display. His work colleague would come in an hour later to be ready for the morning rush.

The doorbell clang just as Keith started up the coffee machine that needed a few minutes to warm up, and he turned around, not yet expecting a customer despite being officially open now.

His mood immediately lit up when he saw who had entered. 

His favourite customer. With that adorable white floof on his forehead, and that bright smile on his face. And as always, looking flawless in his tailored suit that so formidably accentuated his strong build. How he managed to look this put together at such an unforgiving time, Keith didn’t know.

“Good morning,” the man said as he reached the counter. 

“I have yet to decide whether it’s a good morning,” Keith replied with a teasing grin, “but I have to say it has remarkably gotten better now. Shiro, right?”

Oh, that faint blush on that man’s face when he nodded! “I was hoping you’d have the morning shift, I need your magic today.”

“My magic, huh?” Keith turned around to check the status of the coffee machine, feeling his own cheeks heat up in response to the compliment.

“Important product presentation for a potential customer. Boss wants me to be in at six to go through it. So yeah…”

“The usual?  _ The blackest of the black _ distilled into a triple shot espresso, right?”

“Yup.” 

With a grin, Keith set to work on that order, and seconds after, the machine whirred to life. “Anything else you want? A scone? Muffin?”

“I’m fine. Just need the caffeine,” Shiro replied with a shake of his head, still smiling broadly as he leaned against the counter. A violent yawn forced his jaw open, and Keith felt that in his soul. “Damn. Honestly, it’s too early for either of us to be up yet.”

“You want it to go or drink here?”

Shiro checked his watch, then looked up, another smile on his lips. It was still broad and warm, but just a tiny hint of tiredness had sneaked into it. “I still have a few more minutes. I’ll have it here.”

That was music to Keith’s ears. And feeling happy about Shiro staying a little longer, he filled his magic, aka the triple shot espresso that would make other people vibe out of their skin, into a cup. “There you are.”

“You’re a savior!” 

“Just doing my job…” Keith shrugged but couldn’t help feeling a small flutter in his heart at the compliment. 

“Nah, you’re a magician.” With a content exhale, Shiro placed the cup back on the counter. “A grumpy one, though. The kind I like.”

“You should have seen me an hour ago…”

Shiro only raised a cocky eyebrow at that, and damn, it made Keith blush.

Deeply.

“So, what do I owe you?” 

Keith’s brain needed a moment to catch up, as in its sleep-deprived state it had drifted off into a brief daydream about waking up next to Shiro. Covering his lapse with a smile, he then entered the order into the register. 

Shiro pushed over a note that was way too big for the small amount the triple-shot espresso cost. “The rest is for you.”

“What?! That’s too much, Shiro! I can’t take that...”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Shiro said with an absolutely innocent face, only betrayed by that little twitch of his lips. “You work tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Opening shift.  _ Again _ .” Keith growled, trying not to think about how much he wanted to strangle his shop manager for thinking this was a good idea.

“See you then.”

The next morning, Keith had already started up the coffee machine when Shiro came in. He was just checking the stocks in the cupboards and drawers behind the counter to make sure it was filled. The sound of the doorbell made him get up with what he hoped passed as a professional smile.

It was Shiro. Again looking flawless in another business suit that just… made Keith try to gather his one wake brain cell to keep himself composed. He had to know how Shiro managed to look that well put together at such an ungodly hour. “Morning!”

“Good morning.” 

“It now is,” Keith replied with a genuine smile and a step towards the coffee machine. “The usual?”

“You know me…”

It only took Keith seconds and the machine whirred to life, sputtering the triple shot espresso into the cup placed underneath. “How did the presentation go yesterday?”

“Huh?” Shiro looked at him confused for a second, but then his face lit up again. “Oh. Yeah. They bought it.”

“Glad to hear.” Keith placed the cup on the counter, much to Shiro’s immediate relief. “So, why are you up so early again today? And how the hell do you manage to look so proper this fucking early in the morning?”

That made Shiro laugh, just as he was lifting the cup to his lips. Still chuckling moments later, he emptied the coffee in one go. “You don’t believe me if I told you that my boss wanted me to start at six again, hm?”

“Not really, no.” Keith curled his lips into a smile as he put the empty cup on the tray for dirty dishes.

“Mhm.” Shiro rubbed his neck, and there was that adorable tint on his cheeks that Keith liked so much. “To answer your first question… I wanted to see you. To answer the second: Preparation is key.”

Okay, Keith was sure he now lost his one wake brain cell. Shiro wanted to see him.

_ Him _ .

After what felt like another second of eternity, Keith finally managed to regain his composure and not feel entirely embarrassed about it. He grabbed a napkin and his pen to push both towards Shiro before he could even think twice about it. “Number?”

With an amused smirk, Shiro scribbled down his number and added a small message. 

Just as Shiro pushed the napkin and pen back towards Keith, another customer entered, looking about as grumpily tired as Keith earlier. And then Shiro added another big bill to pay for his cup, not accepting any change.

Keith barely had the chance to look at the message on the napkin before he had to serve the other customer.

_ ‘Call me when your shift is over.’ _

And Keith did.


	14. That's Why I'm Wearing It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _What are you wearing?_
> 
> This drabble is the reason why the whole collection is rated M... (I just wanted to be on the safe side)

Shiro exhaled deeply when he closed the door to his house, relieved to leave an exhausting day behind him. If someone had told him before the fateful mission to Kerberos that he’d be an Admiral one day pushing papers, he would have laughed that person in the face. 

Damn, he sometimes missed just being a pilot, feeling the pull of the gravitational forces during maneuvers, even though most aircrafts now had inertia dampeners. He missed being in the air, or worse, missed being in space.

Although, being an admiral did come with a few perks, such as having his own house. It was even off-grounds, but still in the neighbourhood so to speak. It gave him a sense of privacy after having none for so long. 

He liked that.

Out of habit, he opened the first button of his uniform as he strolled over to the kitchen area in the spacious ground floor to see what he could warm up tonight. Hunk had been nice enough to provide him with meals that were easy to heat up, especially when he was too tired.

A perk of being close friends with one of the best cooks in the country. One of these days, he’d coax Hunk into opening his own restaurant, a place that would easily become their group’s favourite hangout. Until then, Hunk’s cooking saved him from cooking and possibly burning up the kitchen.

Tonight, it was a generous plate of pasta with Hunk’s special sauce. It reminded Shiro of Keith’s grumbling after Hunk refused to share the recipe, even after being threatened. Something about family honour or so. 

That little memory made Shiro sigh, as it made him acutely aware that the house was entirely too silent and too empty. Keith was missing. And with him, Kosmo too.

After putting the plate in the microwave, Shiro opened the remaining buttons of his uniform jacket and then rubbed over his face. It had only been a week since Keith had been called on a mission with the Blades—a diplomatic mission as Keith had assured him. He still missed him. 

He still missed coming home to Keith in the kitchen preparing a meal, with Kosmo playing the ever starving beggar before being sent to his cushioned bed. Or Keith all sprawled out over the sofa as he was engrossed in some reports on his datapad. Or Keith who picked him up in the evening to make sure he got his rest.

Just Keith who so unobtrusively took care of him.

Without thinking about it, Shiro started playing with the band on his finger, as he sometimes did out of habit. The touch made him smile, the band was a reminder that he was indeed one hell of a lucky man. 

Keith was his husband—and he missed him terribly. 

It was only a few more days, then Keith would have a week off before returning to his regular duties as Black Paladin and basically Shiro’s right hand at the Garrison.

He could certainly survive that.

With another minute to go until the meal was heated up, Shiro took off his uniform jacket and hung it over the chair at the kitchen table. Right then, his own datapad went off with a very familiar sound that was assigned to one person only. 

Shiro immediately retrieved it, a big smile on his face. He hadn’t expected a call tonight, so he eagerly accepted it, only to be greeted with Keith’s exhausted but happy smile in return. “Hey, starlight.”

“Hmpf, really?” Keith blushed at the pet name and mocked rolling his eyes to cover it. “Ugh. I missed you and your sappiness, though.”

“Is that why you called?” Shiro asked as he propped up the datapad on the kitchen table, with the microwave announcing that the meal was ready with a ping. “I missed you too. Can’t wait to have you back.”

“Can’t wait to be back,” Keith said, the image moving; he probably was shifting into a more comfortable position. “Can’t sleep without you next to me.”

“So, you want me to sing you a lullaby?” Shiro teased him before he turned around to get his meal out of the microwave.

Keith shook his head, just watching him place the plate on the table and sit down. “I-I was hoping you’d be comfortable in bed already… And now I’m jealous because that looks like Hunk’s special sauce.”

Shiro smiled sheepishly for a moment and felt his cheeks heat up when he realised what Keith had meant. “Yeah, I just got home. I’m sorry, love.”

“It’s okay. I get to talk to you at least… How’s the talk with the Olkaris going about the possible tech collaboration?”

Shiro forked up his first bite. “Pretty well, according to my last information. Ryner specifically asked for Pidge to be their contact. Allura covers the negotiating part though…”

“Maybe Pidge could develop a teleporting device for us?” Keith leaned on his elbow, and his feet were visible in the back. He was apparently lying on his bed, the room dimmed as far as Shiro could tell. “Or at least something for long-distance sex. Because I miss your hands on me, baby.”

Shiro almost choked on his next forkload. Coughing, he nodded. Because, damn, he missed the feel of Keith’s skin on his, how responsive he was to his touch, all those little mewls and moans that would escape him. 

Keith smirked, and there was a devious spark in his eyes. “Mhm… You’d love that, right? Touching me...”

Shiro finally recovered from his coughing fit, but his eyes were glued to the screen of his datapad. Keith was once more shifting his position, turning on his back, head apparently leaning against the headrest. Then Shiro saw something that looked like lace on Keith’s waist and he gasped. 

“What… What are you wearing?” he asked, still a little breathless, but noticing how his blood rushed south at the idea of Keith wearing some of his gorgeous lingerie.

Keith bit his lip and then moved the device to give Shiro a full view of his body. “I know you love this one–”

“Yes!” Shiro was almost desperate to touch Keith now, to bury his face on his stomach as he kissed his way south, hands teasing Keith along the seams of that gorgeous set—black lace panties that barely covered Keith’s cock, and a garter belt that held up a pair of the sheerest stockings he had ever seen.

Fuck, he wanted to suck Keith through those panties, make him come like this. And, fuck again, he was hard now. All he could do was let out a garbled moan when he saw Keith’s grin—that little bastard of a husband had entirely expected this reaction.

And his hunger was now of a completely different nature. “Want to be good for me, baby?”

“Mhm… That’s why I’m wearing it.”

Shiro hurried up the stairs to their bedroom, eager to get out of the rest of his clothes. “Touch yourself as I would. Show me how much you like it.”

Keith managed to place his device in a way that gave Shiro full view of everything, and he stumbled over his own feet as he removed his trousers so that only his boxers were left.

And damn, the moans Keith let out were filthy as he played with his nipples until they were sensitive to the simplest touch, making him buck his hips desperately. 

“So good, baby, so good.” Shiro finally settled himself on the bed, datapad held up with his prosthetic, his flesh hand already palming his cock. 

This was the next best thing to fucking his husband into the mattress, watching him touch himself, losing himself to the pleasure.

It was a treat. One that scratched an itch they both had, and one that satisfied them just enough until they were reunited on Saturday.

Until then, this had to be enough.


	15. Don't Worry, Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Prompt:** _“You’ll need to carry me”_

“Hurry, Keith! I’m surrounded!”

“I’m almost there!!” Keith gripped the handles of his own fighter aircraft painfully hard as he maneuvered through the on-going battle between that rogue Galra fleet and the Atlas, with the Blades providing flank support.

“Keith!” Allura shouted into the comm. “What are you doing?”

“What’d you think?” he retorted, sighing loudly.

“We need you up here–”

“Shiro needs help on the ground. I’m just going to pick him up.” And with that, Keith blocked the comm channels, except for Shiro. The sounds of the fighting, the grunts and all those breathless gasps made Keith frantic. He wanted to be there already, wanted to take everyone down who was attacking Shiro.

He licked his lips, feeling a thirst for blood surged up. It was so fucking tempting to give in to it, so it took almost all his willpower to keep his control. If only he was there already!

“Patience yields focus… Patience yields focus,” Keith kept repeating like a mantra as he raced over the planet’s ground, waiting painfully endless seconds for his fighter to pick up the signal of Shiro’s ship. 

And finally, the beep sounded off and the display showed the location. He was close. “Shiro! I have a visual on your ship! Shiro?”

“Hurry!” The word sounded garbled, out of breath, and Keith thought he could hear panic as well. It was rare for Shiro to ever sound like that, and so Keith pushed his fighter to the limit to reach Shiro’s location.

“Get cover!” Keith shouted when he reached him, his finger ready to pull the trigger and shot those Galras down.

“Can’t-Can’t move.”

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Keith huffed, desperate now. If he opened fire, he couldn’t make sure not to hit Shiro, and he wasn’t going to risk that. So instead, he activated the autopilot with the command to find the nearest spot to land, grabbed the remote device to call it once he secured the area, and then went to the rear of his fighter to open the hatch.

“I’m coming for you!” Keith shouted, just as the hatch opened, checking one last time for his Marmora blade and the remodelled Altean bayard.

He landed only a few metres away from the spot where Shiro was, and with an angry, almost feral scream, he launched on the first Galras, taking them out with calculated and swift moves. Seeing their blood was eerily satisfying, and it spurred him on. 

He‘d think about that thirst later.

“Keith! Be… Be careful!”

“You... better... stay... alive, Shiro,” Keith replied as he took down a larger Galra, but not without receiving a handful of cuts and near hits before he could land the final, lethal blow.

After that, only one last Galra remained who tried to goad him. “How poetic, coming to save your partner.”

“Keith, he’s got a gun,” Shiro said in a rather breathless, tense voice from pain. “Fuck, that hurts.”

“Hold on a little longer, okay? Just a few more seconds...” Keith reached for his Altean bayard which transformed into a second blade. No one was ever a match to his dual sword style, regardless of whether they had a firearm or not. 

Fighters who used firearms tended to be slow in reaction. And any weapons the Galra used needed a second to load before the trigger could be pulled, more than enough time for Keith to use it to his advantage. Oh, he was so going to wipe that cocky grin off the Galra’s face.

It only took him one precise move to knock the gun out of his opponent’s hand, and a second to finish him off with his Marmora blade slicing through the Galra’s throat as if it were butter.

Only then did Keith allow himself to take a breath, heart still racing with the adrenaline of the fight, and his head still full of that ugly bloodthirst.

“Keith…”

“I’m here.” Keith finally approached Shiro who had sought cover behind the remains of his fighter. He could see several deep cuts that had penetrated the suit, leaving ugly open wounds that most likely needed stitching and a healing pod. 

What worried him the most was the angle of Shiro’s left leg. It was entirely unnatural, and Keith was sure it was broken. But otherwise, he looked like he was going to make it. “Walking is out of the question, I guess?”

Shiro tried to move, a futile attempt to pull himself up. With a pained, garbled groan, he gave up after a few moments. “I’m afraid you’ll have to carry me.”

Amidst the carnage around them, Keith still couldn’t help but find the slight blush on Shiro’s cheeks adorable. It was all about Shiro being built bigger than average, and buff at that. “Don’t worry,  _ princess _ …”

That made Shiro laugh, a welcome distraction from the surrounding fight, even though he ended up gasping for air, wincing again in pain. “I take Allura wasn’t happy with you breaking rank?”

“No.” Keith checked the insides of Shiro’s fighter, as there had to be something he could use to splint the leg before he’d dare to move Shiro. And he was lucky. The first-aid kit was still in its place, and he could use a couple of branches from the trees in their vicinity. “Don’t worry, I’ll deal with her later. You were more important.”

“Let me… KEITH!” Shiro screamed in pain when Keith took a closer look at the leg with the softest of touches. “Warn me next time you touch it, okay?”

Keith nodded, satisfied that it didn’t seem to be a complicated fracture, something he might be able to set and stabilise—at least enough until he’d get Shiro to the medical bay of the Atlas. And thankfully, the trees in their vicinity provided enough branches that would be good enough.

“You okay?” Shiro asked when Keith returned with branches in his hands.

“Yeah. I just want to get off this planet as soon as possible.” Keith kneeled next to Shiro with a focused expression. He placed the branches next to the first-aid kit and then turned his attention to Shiro’s leg. “This might hurt a bit.”

“Just get it over with.” Shiro braced himself for the pain, digging both the flesh hand and the prosthetic into the ground. 

Keith worked fast to keep the pain to a minimum, setting the bone and then applying the splint. Once the leg was stabilised, he let out a breath. “Anything else I need to check now? Those cuts look bad…”

“Yeah, they took me by surprise. But they aren’t that deep, the suit took the majority of those hits…” Shiro sighed, and then smiled at Keith. There was relief in his eyes, and exhaustion as the adrenaline was leaving his body. “Saving me again, huh?”

“Yeah, sure is a habit by now.” Keith chuckled, as he checked for the position of his fighter. And thankfully, it wasn’t that far away, standing in a clearing nearby. It was a distance that he should be able to do with Shiro as an additional weight. “Other leg good to stand on?”

“Think so.” Shiro almost yelped when Keith hoisted him up into a standing position. And before he could say anything, Keith had already shouldered him, carefully shifting him into a comfortable position for both.

“Okay, let’s get you to safety before any other Galra think they can attack us.”

“With you as my bodyguard?” Shiro replied. “Because I’ve seen you take out those Galra. You were _vicious_ –”

“They attacked you.” Keith concentrated on keeping the balance as he started moving. “I wasn’t going to leave you behind. Never.”

“I… I know,” Shiro replied, panting from the effort to keep still and the pain that the position had to bring him. “I’d do the same for you. And I’ll talk to Allura about it…”

“She’s going to have a go at you for not commanding the Atlas as you should as their captain.”

Yeah, probably.” Shiro let out a small groan, mostly from pain but likely also from the prospect of having to deal with a rather upset Allura who had been adamant of sticking together for this mission. 

“Almost there, almost there.” Keith could already see his fighter through the trees, which was a relief. Shiro was heavy, and the distance felt longer than expected, even though it was probably even shorter than estimated. His shoulders still burned, and his back was begging for the moment he’d put Shiro back down.

Once inside the fighter, Keith put Shiro on that small bench-looking spot in the cargo area that seemed good enough to keep Shiro safe and the leg elevated. Seconds after lift-off, Keith opened the comm channels again. “On my way back–”

“KEITH!” Allura let out in relief. “Thank the Ancients, you’re alive.”

“I have Shiro with me. Alive, but injured.”

“Good. We just finished off the last fighters here. Should be safe to reach the Atlas.”

“Okay.” Keith activated the autopilot, locking the Atlas as the destination. Now that they secured the area, the last of the adrenaline left him, and he felt himself crush from the exertion, muscles burning and his head throbbing. It was always like that, and he hated it. After a deep breath to collect himself and push the pain into the background, he joined Shiro in the cargo area. 

“How’s the leg?” 

“I’ll live.” Shiro shifted his position so that Keith could sit next to him. “You look… You okay?”

“Just tired.” Keith almost collapsed on the small bench. “You know I’m going to save your ass as many times as it takes, but… you know, I hate that feeling that one day, I won’t be fast enough, or will be across the universe, or… whatever. I really hate that thought.”

Shiro nodded, biting his lip. After another breath, he opened his arms in an offer of a hug. “You were fast enough today.”

Keith only took his hand, as he didn’t want to cause unnecessary pain, and then leaned back against the hull. “Today, yeah… I wish you’d stick to the Atlas, for my sake and yours.”

“On one condition.”

Keith turned his head to look at Shiro, who looked at him with those soft grey eyes that made his heart beat a little faster every time. That man was going to be his undoing one day. “Which one?”

“Move in with me. Share my quarters, or whatever you want to call it.”

Smiling now, Keith nodded and squeezed Shiro’s hand. “Don’t think I’m going to spoil you now,  _ princess _ . You only have a broken leg…”

“And here I thought I deserved a little pampering,” Shiro replied with a mocked pout but then couldn’t help but grin.

“Idiot.” Keith chuckled, feeling a new calm settling in him.

In the end, moving his things to Shiro’s quarters didn’t take long. Once finished, he just collapsed onto the bed next to Shiro, exhausted from the long, intense day, looking forward to many mornings waking up next to the man he’d follow across the universe and back.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find ALL Birthday Month Drabbles on my tumblr -->[Just check out this link](https://naarna.tumblr.com/tagged/naarna-birthday-drabbles)!


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